


Guardians

by Starra_Uchiha44



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU, Cult, Evil leader, F/M, Guardian - Freeform, Ice Queen, Torture, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-19
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:20:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 95,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27632644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starra_Uchiha44/pseuds/Starra_Uchiha44
Summary: After the Second Wizarding War, a Guardian was given to each child of the main families that helped in the war. They were all tasked with a simple job, protect their allocated person with their life. Somehow, Freya screwed it up in the biggest way. She fell in love.
Relationships: James Sirius Potter & Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

June, 2002

Kingsley Shacklebolt sat at his desk, looking through a load of documents. The Second Wizarding War had only just ended no more than four years ago, and many things were still so raw for people. His heart went out for the people who had lost family members and loved ones. Kingsley had made it his mission to ensure that every fallen Wizard and Witch was given a send-off they deserved. Sighing deeply, Kingsley looked down at the documents. Now, he was dealing with all the rogue Death Eaters, still loyal to Voldemort. Ever since the fall of their Dark Lord, many had renounced their loyalty, like the Malfoys. However, there were others that didn’t. The Death Eaters still loyal to Voldemort had been attacking muggles in organised chaos which was very unnerving. He was sending many Auror’s after them, but the Death Eaters always seemed to be able to get away in time.   
It was hard being the Minister of Magic, especially when dealing with the aftermath of war.   
There was a knock on his door, alerting him of someone’s presence.   
“Enter,” Kingsley said, his voice sounding commanding and strong. No one could see him weak otherwise they might try and get him out of office.   
The door opened and a man stepped inside. This man was tall and looked to be in his early thirties. He had salt and pepper hair that seemed thick was pushed back. His eyes were a brilliant icy blue and his three piece suite showed he was wealthy.   
“Lance, what is it you want?” Kingsley asked, frowning when he sees who it is.   
Lance Johnson was an Auror and a very good one. He had been helping Kingsley with the paperwork regarding the Death Eaters and was leading the teams to eliminate them and bring them to justice. Lance was very well respected, seeing as he was trained under Moody himself.   
Lance walked further into the room, “I’m afraid I have some disturbing news.” He said as his face became grim.   
Kingsley waved his hand, indicating to get it over with.   
“After interrogating a Death Eater, I’ve found out that they’re planning another uprising,” Lance informed him.  
This got him Kingsley’s full attention.   
“What?” Kingsley asked in an incredulous tone. The War had only just ended, and now the Death Eaters were planning another attack. The thought was preposterous, people hadn’t got over the Second Wizard War; there couldn’t a third so close together.   
Lance nodded his head, “Unfortunately yes. It would seem as though Voldemort had a backup plan in case he should fail. He made sure to have a spawn.”  
Kingsley brought his hands up to rub his temple and he spoke, “Then we need to find this child and eliminate it.” The thought of killing a child disgusted him, but if it meant there would be no war in the future then he would do it. There weren’t many Auror’s who would be willing to do this job either, which was going to make this very difficult.   
“The only trouble is, we don’t actually know where or who the spawn is,” Lance admitted, not looking too happy with this bit of information.   
Kingsley stood up and began to pace. This wasn’t good news either, and if anyone found out there would be wide state panic. If word got out that Voldemort had a child, every child may come under suspicion. It would become chaotic and the Death Eaters would be able to slip through the cracks.   
“This information must not leave this room,” Kingsley said, looking to Lance with the most serious face he could muster.   
Lance nodded his head, “Of course.”  
Sighing deeply, Kingsley deflated slightly.   
“I do have a suggestion though,” Lance said, looking slightly nervous.   
Kingsley looked up, “What is it?”   
“There is a chance to stop the spawn of Voldemort when it’s a teenager and not when it is at full power. There is a very good chance that it will attend Hogwarts.” Lance suggested.   
Kingsley took a seat at his desk once more, interest on his face. “You’ll need to explain more.”  
Lance nodded his head, “As you know, all the war heroes families have been receiving threats. The threats circulating around their children and how they are going to attack them first. Harry Potter’s godchild – Edward Lupin – has also been receiving threats and I imagine it will only get worse when Harry and Ginny do eventually have their own children.” He said with a sigh in his tone.   
Kingsley looked down at a pile of documents on his desk, most of them were the death threats each family had received from anonymous people. The Potter, Weasleys, Lovegoods, Longbottoms and even the Malfoys have received death threats. However, the Ministry had managed to intercept these letter before any of the families could receive them. The Weasleys had received more at this point due to the fact Bill and Fleur Weasley had already had their first child together – Victoire Weasley.   
“What are you getting at?” Kingsley asked, looking at Lance with more caution in his eyes.   
Lance grinned widely, his icy blue eyes almost seemed to glow in happiness. “To prevent the War Hero’s children getting potentially harmed, I propose that we give each child a Guardian. They will guard them and look out for any potential threats. At the same time, they will be able to listen out for any chance of Voldemort’s spawn.”   
Kingsley fell silent and stared at Lance with a blank expression.   
Taking a step forward, Lance placed some documents on Kingsley’s desk. “Read through this and it will all make sense.” He said, seeming very confident.   
Kingsley looked at the paper with a blank expression. After a few seconds, he picked the documents up and began to read it. There were only three pieces of paper, making it very easy to read through. The document was well outlined and was actually convincing until Kingsley read one part.   
“You propose sending children to be their Guardians?” He asked, his tone becoming icy. He re-read this one line, making sure that he wasn’t mistaken or he had read it wrong.   
Lance nodded his head, “Yes, they will be specially trained though. That way they can fit in and no one would suspect them. If a load of Auror’s appeared in Hogwarts then it would look suspicious.”   
“They’re children!” Kingsley exclaimed, standing up from his sitting position.   
“Death Eaters don’t care who they kill. They will kill children, but they won’t expect children to fight back. You also can’t spare any Auror’s either, they’re all busy.” Lance shot back immediately, it was as though he was ready for this.   
Kingsley sighed and fell back into his chair.   
Looking up, Kingsley asked. “What makes you think the children will be targeted?” Kingsley was trying to poke holes in Lance’s proposal because it didn’t sit right with him morally. But in all honesty, it was a pretty solid idea and it made sense. It also didn’t help that Kingsley was becoming desperate to find a way to stop these potential death threats – which he was taking very seriously. Kingsley was having to send Auror’s out to protect them but he didn’t have enough people to do this. But he didn’t like the thought of children fighting and he knew many other people wouldn’t like the idea either.   
“Would it interest you to know the Death Eater I interrogated also had plans to kidnap Victoire Weasley?” Lance asked, arching an eyebrow at him.   
Kingsley frowned. He hadn’t heard of this before and this concerned him. He knew that Death Eaters didn’t care who they hurt or the age of the people they were killing. That’s what made them dangerous and unpredictable.   
Sighing, Kingsley asked. “How do you plan on getting people on board?” He was more curious than anything.   
“I plan to have children of ex-Death Eaters in the course. It would give them a chance at redeeming themselves and at the same time we can still monitor them.” Lance explained with ease.   
Falling silent, Kingsley began to think.   
After a few seconds, he looked up. “Alright, I agree with this proposal. But it must be kept hidden from everyone. No one must know about this. I trust you to monitor it and look after it.” As he said this, his voice became commanding once more, making sure to emphasise how serious this was. Kingsley knew that if any of the families found out, there would be outrage.  
Lance’s icy blue eyes lit up. “Of course. I will ensure no one will ever find out about this.”  
Kingsley nodded his head, and motions to dismiss him.   
Lance walked out of the office, the happy look in his eyes soon turning malicious.

HARRY POTTER 

November 2012  
A little girl around eight years old could be seen, sitting on the windowsill of her room. Freya had long brown hair and stormy grey eyes. As Freya was looking out the window, a frown was the most prominent thing on her face. She had been sent up by her mother because they had a visitor over. Freya didn’t know who this person was, but she knew that it had to be someone of high importance to make her mother and father sweat so much.   
“Freya! Come down this instance!” The shout of her mother echoed through the entire house.   
Looking at the door, Freya wordlessly got up and headed towards her door. She walked down the tall stairs and walked into the living room. Her mother and father sat on one couch, and the visitor on the other side.   
Freya’s mother – Vivienne Williams was a tall woman with long brown hair and brown eyes. Her eyes were beady and her nose long. Her top lip was thinner and could hardly be seen. Her father – Rupert Williams was also a tall man, with a beard that covered most of his face and stormy grey eyes much like his daughter.  
“Yes, mother?” Freya asked her mother, her little voice low and quiet.   
The visitor turned his head at the sound of her voice. The minute Freya looked into his icy blue eyes, she felt a shiver rip through her. She knew those eyes, but she knew who those eyes belonged to more than anything. Freya had heard her parents speak much about Lance Johnson; they practically worshipped the ground he walked on. But Freya had always been creeped out by him and shied away, choosing to hide behind her older sister. However, she couldn’t do that anymore.   
Lance smiled when he saw her, “Hello Freya. What a beautiful young girl you are.”   
Freya said nothing and stared at him. She never spoke around him if she could help it – a little fact her parents didn’t like much.   
“I promise you, Lance, she’ll do better than Lydia,” Vivienne said, staring at Lance with adoration in her eyes.   
Freya winced, looking down at the ground.   
Lance seemed to ignore her and stood up. He walked over to the youngest member of the family, looking directly at her with an intense look in his eyes. When close enough, he kneeled down in front of her. “Freya, dear. How would you feel about doing something amazing and great for the Wizarding community?” He asked, his voice becoming sickly sweet.   
Freya’s gaze locked onto her mother’s. Vivienne was glaring at her, silently commanding her to do what the man wanted. She then looked to her father and found him with a blank expression, revealing nothing. Looking back at the man in front of her, she asked. “What do you want me to do?”   
The smile on Lance’s face only grew bigger. “You are going to guard someone and protect them from any harm.” As he said this, he stood up and went to sit back down on the couch, sipping the tea Vivienne had prepared.   
Frowning, Freya looked to him and stared. As she did this, she began to think. Why would she need to guard someone? Freya wasn’t an idiot, she was the smartest person in her class in her primary school. She was also very good at picking up silent cues and reading in-between the lines. She knew that there was something bigger going on.   
“So, what do you say Freya?” Vivienne asked her daughter, a menacing look in her eyes.   
Freya looked at her mother for a moment before answering. “No.” She said, her voice quiet as she felt the fear filling her.   
And for good reason too.   
Rage appeared in Vivienne’s eyes, her hands itching towards her wand in her pocket. Rupert was frozen in his seat, staring at his daughter with surprise in his eyes.   
However, Lance laughed, diffusing any tension in the room.   
After a few seconds, Lance calmed down. “You see Freya, you don’t have a choice. You will become a Guardian whether you like it or not. If you don’t, you may just end up joining Lydia.” Lance said, acting nonchalant.   
Freya froze where she was, the horror sinking into her.   
Standing up, Lance walked past Freya and patted her head. “I think you’ll make the right decision.” He said before leaving the house.   
Freya could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She looked to her mother and father for comfort, but her father avoided her gaze completely and her mother looked smug. Freya knew she would receive no warmth from then, the only person who ever treated her nicely was her sister and Topaz.   
Seeing her tears, Vivienne shouted while glaring. “We Williams' do not cry! We are not weak!” She stood up and stormed over to her daughter.   
“But I don’t want to be a guardian!” Freya shouted out, stamping her foot on the ground like the small child she was.   
The room went deadly silent.   
Vivienne stared at her daughter with so much hate and venom in her eyes that it made Freya recoil back. “How selfish can you be?! I’ve fed you and clothed you and this is how you repay us?!” Vivienne yelled, getting into her daughter’s face and poking her shoulder with her bony fingers.   
Freya yelped in pain and stepped back, but her mother was relentless.   
“You will do as you’re told! You will become a Guardian!” Vivienne continued to shout, her eyes becoming wild.   
“No, I won’t!” Freya yelled back.   
The next thing Freya knew, she was on the floor and her cheek stung badly. Looking up, she saw her mother standing over with her hand out in the air. It didn’t take Freya long to realise what had just happened; her mother had hit her. This realisation only made her cry harder.   
Rupert stood up from his sitting position. This simple action got everyone’s attention in the room. When he stood, his very presence commanded attention. “We go to the Ministry tomorrow to register you as a Guardian. Get over it and soon.” With that, he walked away with his wife by his side who looked victorious.   
Freya stood up and walked back to her room. The tears had now stopped falling, even though her cheek and shoulder were throbbing in pain.   
Now in her room, Freya looked at herself in the mirror.   
“But I don’t want to be a Guardian…” She whispered lowly to herself. But even at that age, she knew that there was no way she could get out of it. The threat Lance left was still ringing in her ears and left her feeling scared.   
HARRY POTTER   
The next day   
Just as her parents had promised, Freya was taken down to the Ministry of Magic. Looking around, she could see swarms of people and that made her nervous. She didn’t like big crowds but she knew never to voice any complaints to her parents. As she and her parents were walking, Freya was able to see a reflection of herself in the shiny black walls. Clear as day, Freya could see a bruise on her cheek where her mother had slapped her, but no one seemed to question it.   
Turning left, Rupert knocked on the wall three times and with a rhythm. Within seconds, the wall opened up and they walked through it. Once through, the wall behind them closed up. Looking around, Freya could see other children. Besides her, there were quite a few other children. All of them looked nervous, except the older ones who didn’t seem to be showing any emotions.   
They sat down, and the moment they did, there was an ear piercing scream from another room.   
Freya’s eyes widened and she looked to her parents, gauging their reaction. However, they had no reaction and were staring at the wall in front of them in the calmest manner. Freya looked at the other children’s reactions and found that they too didn’t show any outward reaction.   
This made Freya nervous.   
“I don’t like this.” She mumbled lowly to herself.   
That’s when Freya felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning her head, she saw a girl around her age. “How can you not like it?” The girl asked rather brashly.  
“I don’t want to be here that’s why,” Freya answered back. She didn’t like this girl, Freya thought she was too happy after hearing that blood-curdling scream. In fact, everyone but her seemed calm about this.   
The girl stared at Freya with a weird expression. “Don’t you want to bring honour to your family?”   
Freya looked at her, “What?”   
The girl rolled her eyes, “Don’t you know anything? When you become a Guardian, you bring honour to your family name.”   
Freya frowned, she did not liking being insulted.   
Just as Freya was about to respond, the door on the far side opens. Lance steps out and looks around the room, “Freya Williams.” He said, smiling when he sees her.   
Freya felt herself freeze, especially when everyone looks in her direction. She never liked being the centre of attention.   
Her parents stood up and her mother grabbed her by the arm and dragged her over to Lance. Freya attempted to struggle but her mother was far too strong. Freya was dragged into a room that had a chair and nothing else in the room. The walls were white and for some reason, it sent chills down Freya’s spine.   
“Go sit on the chair,” Rupert said, looking down at his daughter.   
Wordlessly, Freya does as she is asked. She sits on the chair, her legs dangling over the edge.   
“I see you’ve changed your mind then?” Lance said, smiling down at her.   
Freya just stared at him, not saying anything. She knew that Lance saw the bruise on her cheek; no one could miss it. With how pale Freya was, the bruise stood out just like her stormy grey eyes did. Freya looked at her mother and found her glaring.   
Seeing her daughter wasn’t going to answer, Vivienne answered for her. “She has, she had decided to become a Guardian,” Vivienne said, adoration in her eyes as she stared at Lance.   
Lance glared at her, “I want Freya to say it, not you.” There was a low hiss in his tone, very menacing and full of venom.   
Vivienne stiffened and slowly bowed, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to speak in her stead.”   
Lance smiled and waved it off, “Oh its fine. So Freya, have you decided to become a Guardian?” Lance turned his attention to Freya, there was an expecting look in his eyes.   
Looking to her parents, Freya could see they were glaring at her – her mother especially. “Yes,” Freya said lowly as she frowned. She knew she didn’t have a choice in the matter anyway.   
Lance’s eyes brightened, “That’s wonderful! Now, hold your hair up for me.” He said, taking his wand out.   
Freya looked confused for a moment before doing as he asked.   
Walking around her, Lance stood behind her and waved his wand, starting his incantation.   
At first, all Freya felt was confused. But that’s when she felt this white hot burning pain on the back of her neck. Freya did the only thing that came to mind: scream. Freya screamed and attempted to move away, but that’s when she felt two sets of arms grab her small body and hold her down, preventing her from getting away. Freya screamed louder, her struggling increasing as the pain got worse. Freya could hear herself screaming, begging to be let go, but no one listened to her.   
Then, the pain was gone. The minute it was gone, Freya stopped screaming, but she felt exhausted and she couldn’t move.   
“What does the mark do?” Freya heard her father speak.   
“With this mark, she won’t be able to tell anyone about being Guardian, minus a few certain people. If she does, she’ll experience pain worse than the Crucio curse.” Lance said, sounding calm as ever.   
Freya didn’t understand what that meant, but she knew it was bad.   
Just as her vision became dark, Freya heard Lance whisper to her. “You’re mine now, Freya.” He mumbled softly, stroking her hair in what was meant to be a soothing manner, but it just made her want to cry.  
That’s all Freya could remember before her vision went black. 

HARRY POTTER 

September 1st 2015  
Now eleven years old, Freya stood on the platform nine and three quarters. This is the year she would be entering Hogwarts and any child would be excited. However, Freya didn’t feel excited, all she felt was dread. Her mother and father stood beside her, but they did not interact with her. Freya could see all the other parents, hugging their children and wishing them a good year, but Freya got none of that.   
This was her first year being a Guardian and Freya wanted nothing more than to run away.   
“That is who you are to protect Freya.” Rupert’s strong voice snapped his daughter out of her thoughts.   
Freya looked up and saw who her father is referring too. She could see a large family, most of them sporting ginger hair. She knew that they were the Weasleys and so Freya looked further ahead. That’s when she spotted Harry Potter and his family. Next to him was James Sirius Potter. He had uncontrollable brown hair and hazel eyes. He looked slightly scrawny and thin. Like his father, James also had glasses.   
Honestly, Freya wasn’t impressed with what she saw.   
For three years, it had been drilled into her that James would be the most important person in her life. She would have to trade her life for his if the time came. Freya was meant to protect him and watch over him. James had been made out to be almost like a godly figure in her family. Her family had made it obvious who was more important between the two of them.   
Freya watched as James’ family hugged him, Ginny crying slightly as she watched her first born child board the train.   
Freya’s chest tightened as she watched the family interact. Her fists clenched as she watched them interact with one another with warmth in their eyes.   
She was jealous.   
Freya looked up to her parents, hoping that since they’ve just seen other parents give affection to their kids that they would follow suit. However, Freya was disappointed when her parents did nothing.   
Vivienne looks down at her daughter, “Remember, Slytherin is the house you want to be in.” She said, her voice icy and stern,   
“If not Slytherin, at least Ravenclaw.” Rupert conceded with a flat look.   
Freya nodded her head but says nothing.   
With that, Vivienne and Rupert left their daughter all alone on the train platform. Her suitcase had already been taken and placed on the train. With nothing else to do, Freya resorted to watching the Potter family once more.   
As she did so, she couldn’t help the burning jealousy she was feeling.  
Freya had only just met James once, and she didn’t like him at all.

HARRY POTTER 

Freya’s POV  
My name is Freya Williams.   
I am a Guardian but not by choice.  
Before I was born, a new section of the Ministry was made; in secret. It was called the Ministry of Guardians and it was very selective and very secret. Not many people knew about it, and if you had, you could never speak about it outside the members that were in it. Lance Johnson made sure of that by marking each and everyone one of its members.   
Lance Johnson was a very persuasive man. He was the one who made the suggestion that would kick start the Ministry of Guardians. He had proposed an idea to Kingsley Shacklebolt, to give each child – whose families fought in the war – a Guardian to protect them from any future threats. Lance had reason to believe that if another war were to break out, the War Hero’s children would be targeted to eliminate any future threats.   
Families such as the Potters, Weasleys, Lovegoods (Scamanders), Longbottoms and even the Malfoys would be assigned a Guardian for each child that they had. Guardians would watch over their charges and would make sure that no harm came to them.   
There was however a little clause that Kingsley Shacklebolt was never told before he approved this. I liked to believe that if he did know about this clause, there was no way that he would have approved it.   
The Guardians are expendable.   
We Guardians could be killed and easily replaced; we were not important. However, if any harm were to come to the charge, there was serious hell to pay. The Guardian would more than likely not survive the punishment, because Lance would make sure he was the one who gave the punishment personally.   
Now there are a few rules that we Guardians have to abide by, and if we didn’t, we’d be punished for it. If we even broken one rule, it would cost you severely.  
Rule one: Protect the charge at all cost, no excuses.   
Rule Two: The charge must never know you are protecting them.   
Rule Three: You must have no contact with your charge.   
Rule Four: You must NEVER fall in love with your charge.   
Rule Five: You can never tell anyone about being a Guardian.   
Rule Six: Anyone caught shirking their responsibilities will be immediately removed and replaced.   
There are quite a few more, but you get my point. If anyone were to break even one of these rules, death was usually the punishment.   
Here’s the great part though.   
I broke nearly every rule possible.   
And here is how.


	2. Chapter 2

September 2020

It was September 1st, it was a sunny day and surprisingly warm for that time of the year. It was an early morning but the sun was already high in the sky and beating down on the people below. People were smiling at King’s Cross Station because today was the day that everybody went back to Hogwarts; the most magical place to be. Families stood at the waiting portion of the station nine and three quarters, some crying at seeing their children leaving – most of them are the first year parents – and other parents looked happy to get rid of their child for most of the year.   
Freya’s family fell in the latter half of that group.   
Being part of the Williams family wasn’t easy. Williams’ was meant to be cold, unfeeling and brutal. When the Wizarding War broke out, they sided with Voldemort and was a very big supporter of the Dark Lord. However, no one knew about the Williams’ involvement in the war due to the fact Lance Johnson covered it up. In return, Freya would become a Guardian.   
Freya looked out the window, looking for one particular family. It wasn’t hard, she just had to look out for the sea of redheads and she’d find them quick enough. There were many redheads in the school, but when there was a conglomerate of them together, it definitely wasn’t hard to miss them. Freya knew that if she found the Weasleys, then the other family wouldn’t be too far away.   
Of course, Freya was referring to the Potter Family.   
However, there was one person Freya was looking for in particular. This person was arrogant, childish and vain. He was a pain in her backside and she wanted nothing more than to knock him down a few pegs.   
It was James Sirius Potter.   
James was very well known in Hogwarts. He wasn’t just Harry Potter’s oldest son, he was also a massive player, troublemaker and great at Quidditch. Not that it was something Freya would like to admit to herself.   
Freya heard someone open the doors to the compartment in the train that she was in. “How was your summer, Freya?” A familiar voice said. Freya immediately recognised who it was without even needing to look; there were very few people who would approach her with a casual tone. Freya turned her head and sees Katrina Thompson – who was also a Guardian but of Frank Longbottom, Neville Longbottom’s son. Freya shrugged her shoulders lightly, “Boring as ever, and yours?” She asked only in half interest. If any other person had tried speaking to her, she would have ignored them completely, but she had known Katrina for a long time.   
Katrina’s eyes lit up and she began rambling as she always did, quite animatedly. Every now and again, Freya would make sounds of interest to make it appear as though she was listening. However, Freya would never contribute and just let Katrina speak.   
Freya and Katrina were so different from each other. Katrina was tiny and full of energy. She was pale with bright blue eyes and long blonde hair. She was cheerful and pretty and she definitely fit her Hufflepuff house. Freya, however, did not fit her house. She was in Gryffindor – but she acted more like a Slytherin. Freya was cold, harsh and sarcastic. She was ambitious and would do whatever it took to get what she wanted. Freya was tall for her age, taller than most guys in her year since she was five foot nine. She has long dark brown hair and stormy grey eyes.   
“Starting the party without me, I see.” Another voice said, appearing in the doorway of the compartment.   
Freya rolled her eyes. “Ever heard of three being a crowd,” Freya answered back dryly, glaring at the guy in front of them.   
Ryan Jones – a fourth year Ravenclaw – with sandy blonde hair and hazel eyes. More importantly, he was the Guardian of Scorpius Malfoy. “And leave two gorgeous ladies alone, never.” He smiled, showing his straight white teeth as he sat down next to Katrina.   
Katrina began to talk to Ryan while Freya tuned them both out.   
Freya looked back out the window, scanning the crowd once more. It was at that moment Freya saw him: James hugging his mother – Ginny Potter – before getting onto the train. Freya continued to watch as Ginny then turned to Albus and Lily, giving them both hugs and kisses. Harry was beside his wife, looking at children with affection. None of their family noticed Freya staring, no one ever noticed a Guardian. In Freya’s five years of guarding James, he and his family have never once noticed her.   
“Did anyone hear what happened with the Finnegan family?” Ryan asked brashly, not even bothering to lower his voice.   
Freya’s head whipped around and she glared at him, “Hush your mouth.” She hissed at him, giving him her best death glare.   
Ryan stilled under her gaze, looked very scared.   
Freya took out her wand, “Muffliato.” She muttered the spell around the room, allowing no one outside to listen in on their conversation.   
“Never make that mistake again,” Freya ordered him icily, for stormy grey eyes almost glowing under in the sunlight.   
Ryan nodded his bowed head in shame, “Yes, of course.” Gone was his charismatic personality. What was left was an obedient Guardian – just how they are trained to be by their parents.   
Katrina looked at Ryan and Freya with a confused expression. “What happened to the Finnegan’s?” She asked, looking innocent as she said this.   
Freya exhaled deeply and she tried her best to be patient. Katrina was a Half-blood, her mother was a Muggle and her father was the Wizard. For her training, she would visit her father, but for most of the time off, she would visit her mother. It was that reason Katrina was guarding someone less important. Due to this, she wouldn’t know much of what was happening in the Wizarding World, unlike Freya, who is a Pureblood and the Guardian to a Potter.   
“The Finnegan’s were attacked and their child has been reported missing,” Freya informed them with a blank expression. Ever since this news had been announced, her parents had been frantic and had pushed Freya even harder than ever before in her Guardian training. This particular summer had been hell. At times, Freya had thought she wasn’t going to live past this summer, but she picked herself up and dealt with it.   
Katrina gasped in horror, her eyes wide. “No!”  
“I heard that there is an uprising of Voldemort’s followers,” Ryan whispered, looking at Freya cautiously. He didn’t want to risk her anger again. After being around her long enough, Ryan knew that Freya hated gossip.   
Freya said nothing, not giving away anything. Her parents had made her attend all the meetings with Lance Johnson so Freya knew a lot more than quite a few people. Freya’s father had always drilled into her that as a Guardian, she needed to be well informed.   
Katrina looked unnerved, but it only served to make her appear like a small child, “B-but what about Kyle?” Katrina asked, mainly looking to Freya for the answers. She was referring to Kyle Grant, the Guardian of Caitlin Finnegan. Caitlin was a fourth-year Gryffindor and Kyle was a fourth year Ravenclaw.   
Freya’s stormy grey eyes looked at the ground. Freya knew Kyle quite well, the Grant and Williams family had been close friends for many years until the disappearance of Caitlin Finnegan. Then, Freya’s parents dropped them like rocks. She and her family had been at Kyle’s court case, where he had been found guilty and was sentenced to death. But there had been a rumour going around that her parents told her. Apparently, Voldemort’s followers were trying to gain power, make themselves known again. There was a rumour that the Death Eaters had been the ones to kidnap Caitlin, but no one was sure.   
“He won’t be attending Hogwarts anyone,” Freya told them, giving each a stern look. She then closed her eyes, trying to get the images of Kyle being taken away after being found guilty out of her head. He had tried to protest his innocence but he was ignored and dragged underground where he would never see the light of day again. He was only fourteen years old.   
Katrina and Ryan’s eyes widened, but they smartly didn’t say anything else. Ryan seemed to understand what Freya was saying, but Katrina still looked confused.   
Seeing as they weren’t going to talk about the subject again, Freya took down the spell.   
The rest of the train journey went by smoothly. Katrina and Ryan continued talking to one another, yet Ryan looked uneasy. He was constantly stealing glances at Freya – who had been reading her book the entire journey. It was only when Katrina got up to use the toilets, did Ryan let out a long sigh.   
“Freya.” Ryan began.   
Freya looked up from her book but didn’t say anything. She arched a perfectly plucked eyebrow, giving him the cue to speak.   
“He’s gone, isn’t he?” Ryan asked in a hushed tone, keeping his voice down this time. He was referring to Kyle. Kyle had been part of their little group and had been Ryan’s best friend. Kyle had been a happy person, never allowing anything to deter him. Freya had always admired how Kyle was able to do his job and still have a smile on his face, but now it was gone. He seemed to have the knack for always looking on the positive side.   
Freya’s facial expression gave away nothing. This was something she was well trained in, this is why she was known as the Ice Queen of the Guardians.   
“Yes,” Freya said after a few moments of silence.   
Ryan’s face became grim.   
“Freya, do you ever wish we weren’t Guardians?” Ryan asked he was now looking out the window with wishful expression.   
Freya stilled for a moment. No one really wanted to become a Guardian, but no one said it out loud because admitting it was very dangerous and if someone told the wrong person, they could be facing trial. But Freya and Ryan had been friends for years – even though she wouldn’t admit it out loud.   
Putting down her book, Freya sighed. “Every day.” She admitted softly, also looking out the window. This was something all their parents chose for them. They were given this duty to bring back honour to the family’s name and that was it.   
That was when Katrina walked back into the room and noticed the sombre atmosphere, “Eh? What’s wrong?” Katrina asked, looking around with furrowed eyebrows as she took her place next to Ryan.   
“He was annoying.” Freya answered back smoothly, getting back to her book.   
Ryan glanced at Freya, but she never met his gaze. Ryan forced a smile on his face and turned back to Katrina, “The Ice Queen returns.” He joked, nudging Katrina with his elbow.   
Katrina pouted and looked to Freya, “You could at least try to be nice this year.” She said, looking disappointed.   
“Why be nice to a bunch of idiots?” Freya answered back, reading her book.   
Katrina huffed but continued her conversation with Ryan. While doing this, Ryan and Freya looked at one another before looking away. Freya had covered for Ryan, something she didn’t do often. But there was a reason and it was because of Katrina. Katrina was pure and innocent and Ryan and Freya wanted to protect that. Katrina didn’t know the true darkness that followed the Guardians.   
The train screeched to a halt and everyone got off. As Freya was getting off the train, she noticed James instantly among the crowd. It wasn’t hard, Freya was taller than most girls so she could see most people. James was easy to spot in a crowd too, he oozed arrogance and drew attention to himself wherever he went. James was tall, around six foot. He was lean and muscular from all the Quidditch he played, the many girls that he has slept with all describe how he had the body of a god. From Freya’s sources, she knew that he had been made Quidditch Captain this year. James had wild brown hair and hazel eyes that everyone loved.   
Everyone but Freya.   
“Freya, look!” Katrina said, pulling on her arm.   
Freya turned her head and saw what Katrina was pointing at. Carriages had pulled up and were being pulled by Thestrals. Thestrals were a breed of winged horses with a skeletal body, with reptilian features, and wide, leathery wings that resemble bats. They could also only be seen when someone has witnessed someone die.   
“I wonder what’s pulling it,” Ryan asked, a curious expression on his face.   
Freya said nothing, knowing that if she did there would be all sorts of questions, ones that she didn’t want to answer.   
Katrina looked to Freya, “Do you know?” She asked, her bright blue eyes looking at her with innocence.   
Freya shook her head, “No, I don’t.”  
With that, Freya, Katrina and Ryan got into a carriage. As they did, Freya noticed that James also got into the carriage and was in front of them. She made sure to keep an eye out for him, always watching him.   
Two more people joined Freya in the carriage. Looking at them, she saw that they were Rebecca Singleton and Joseph Murry. Rebecca was a fourth year Slytherin who was at an average height and a tanned complexion. She has long black hair and brown eyes. She was the Guardian of Albus Severus Potter. Joseph was a sixth year Ravenclaw. He was short for his age and was very pale, he has short brown hair and blue eyes. He is the Guardian of Rose Weasley.   
“What’s the report?” Freya asked immediately as she saw the two other Guardians. These meetings were nothing new, she would always meet with other Guardians and they would give her their report. She was the leader of them all and everyone came to her if they needed advice.   
“No disturbances,” Rebecca said, her face void of any emotion.   
“Nothing interesting happened over the summer,” Joseph reported, looking just as equally void of any emotion.   
Freya nodded her head. Even if her face didn’t show it, she was happy with this information. Freya had been the longest staying Guardian ever. No one had been around as long as her. Rebecca was Albus’ third Guardian and Joseph was Rose’s fourth Guardian. No one knew to be a Guardian better than Freya and it’s because of that she was respected by the others.   
“Make sure it stays that way,” Freya responded in an icy tone.   
Rebecca and Joseph nodded their heads and said nothing more for the rest of the ride. The only person who talked was Katrina, who didn’t seem to mind that no one else was talking. No one in the carriage had the heart to tell her to be quiet, and if anyone ever thought about it then they would get a frosty glare from Freya. 

HARRY POTTER 

Freya sat at the Gryffindor table, watching as James and his cousin Fred begin their plans of pranking. They did one big prank every year, each one more elaborate than the last. In their First Year, they managed to start a food fight by magically hitting one of the upper years Slytherin with mashed potatoes which were hilarious for others. In their second year, they managed to transfigure all professors robe’s pink, the third year they managed to cause a firework display in the Great Hall, the Fourth year they turned some first years invisible and last year they magically changed the colour of Slytherin Students hair to Gryffindor colours.   
Watching the Sorting soon became boring. There were quite a few Hufflepuffs this year, but not that many Slytherins or Ravenclaws. Due to her boredom, Freya soon turned her attention to James once more. He was sniggering to his friends, no doubt coming up with more pranks for the year.   
Freya felt someone tap on her shoulder.   
“Headmistress McGonagall asked for you to come to her office after the ceremony and to bring pear drops.” A feminine voice said behind Freya.   
Turning her head, Freya saw Fred Weasleys Guardian – Cordelia Cole. Cordelia stood tall and was in Gryffindor. She had short brown hair and brown eyes. She was the sixth year, much like Freya. However, Freya pitied her. Fred had been through so many Guardians, Cordelia was his seventh and the longest lasting one of them all.   
Freya nodded her head but said nothing more.   
Headmistress McGonagall stood at the podium, her face blank, “Hello, the students of Hogwarts. Another year is ahead of us. As a reminder, the Forbidden Forest is out of bounds to all students.” As she said this, she sent a pointed glare directly at James and Fred, who tried to seem innocent but looked anything but.   
Some first years began to chat, some looking rather nervous. However, all the others looked neutral, they had received that same warning over and over again so it was nothing new to them.   
“That is not all.” McGonagall announced, her Scottish accent faint, “We will also be joined by Durmstrang and Beauxbatons within the next few weeks, and I expect nothing to slip up.” As she said this, her face became tight and her eyes hardened.   
Excitement rung around the Dining Hall.   
Freya’s ears perked up. She and the other Guardians exchanged looks with one another, each one of them knew what that meant. The schools didn’t meet up unless there was a reason, the last time Durmstrang and Beauxbatons visited Hogwarts was because of the Triwizard Tournament. And, if Freya’s memory served her right, the last Tournament didn’t exactly go as planned. It seemed as though the Guardians weren’t the only ones alarmed. The Potters and Weasleys were also looking bewildered. James looked ready to stand up and shout, only his youngest sister Lily was holding his arm down. It wasn’t very surprising that they were shocked, their father had companies to get the Triwizard Tournament banned after what happened – he had deemed it far too dangerous and many others had agreed with him.   
“Now, time to eat.” Headmistress McGonagall said, her face not looking as grim as it had been moments before.   
Just as she finished speaking, a feast appeared in front of all the students. Freya picked at things – her appetite had immediately disappeared. All that was left was a sense of dread, she didn’t like the foreboding tone in McGonagall’s voice.   
Dinner was a quiet affair for Freya. A few Guardians had tried to engage her in mindless chatter, but they were only met with silence.   
Once all the food was gone, many people began to leave with their bellies full.   
Freya stood up, planning to head to McGonagall’s office.   
The moment she did, ten dung bombs were thrown into the air by Peeves – who was cackling widely – and he began throwing extra dung bombs at random people. James and Fred were laughing loudly, giving each other high fives.   
The Great Hall was a mess and stunk even worse.   
“James!” Albus cried at his older brother with a disgusted look on his face. He had been hit dead on by the dung bomb.   
“I’m going to kill you, Fred!” Roxanne cried loudly, giving her brother death glares.   
However, Freya walked out unscathed as she had an invisible shield up the entire meal. As she walked away, a smirk crawled onto her stony face, she had expected no less from someone named after two Marauders and the son of George Weasley. 

HARRY POTTER 

Freya waited patiently in McGonagall’s office, sitting in one of the spare chairs in the room. McGonagall had kept up Dumbledore’s tradition of using Muggle sweet names for the passwords to the office. Freya didn’t completely understand some of the names seeing as she came from a Pureblood family and her parents didn’t allow her to have sweets.   
McGonagall walked into the office with a stony face, no doubt she had to deal with James and Fred before coming here.  
“Completely unscathed I see?” McGonagall commented briskly, walking to sit at her desk. She too also looked unscathed from James and Fred’s prank.   
Freya smirked, “Of course. People are idiots for not expecting them to pull a prank at the beginning of the year.” It was practically tradition now. Ever since the first year – which is the first and only time she had been caught off guard –, Freya’s guard had been vigilant and she constantly had an invisible shield around her at the welcome ceremony.   
McGonagall nodded her head in an approving manner. “We have some new Guardians coming today and I was hoping you’d greet them. All of them are second years.” She said, looking at Freya with an expecting look. McGonagall was the only teacher in the entire school who knew about the Guardians. She had to since she was Headmistress of the school. But Freya knew that McGonagall disapproved of the whole idea, she had stated it many times how she detested Lance.   
Nodding her head, Freya replied. “Of course.”   
Right on cue, there was a knock on the door. McGonagall waved her wand and the door opened immediately. Three figures stepped in, each looking young and fresh-faced. There were two boys and one girl. They were all looking at each other nervously.   
McGonagall stood up, “Come in and be quick about it.” She said in an almost scolding tone.   
The three stepped in and lined up in front of them.   
Freya stood up and turned to face the newcomers. “State your name and the person you are going to be protecting,” Freya said, her voice becoming commanding.  
The girl went first and spoke in a quiet voice. “I’m Lucy Fisher and I’m guarding Lorcan Scamander.” Lucy looked small for her age and looked very skinny. She has short auburn hair with freckles splashed over her face. She has brown eyes that were looking to the floor very nervously.   
Freya looked to the next boy in line.   
“I’m Miles Clarke and I’m guarding Lysander Scamander,” Miles said trying to look braver than Lucy but it wasn’t going well. He was also short for his age, but he had more ‘puppy fat’ on him, he had short brown hair and blue eyes.   
Freya looked to the last one.   
“I-I’m Connor Jones and I’m guarding Lily Luna Potter,” Connor mumbled softly, staring at the ground. Connor was at a medium height for twelve years old, with blond hair and green eyes.   
Freya nodded her head.  
McGonagall walked over, the Sorting Hat in her hands. These three weren’t here in the first year, Lucy and Connor had been in Beauxbatons and Miles had been at Durmstrang. The only reason that they were here is that they were needed as guardians. Guardians also didn’t get sorted the way normal people did. Some last names brought too much attention seeing as all Guardian’s parents were former Death Eaters. It brings less attention to them and makes sure the charge doesn’t even know the Guardian exists.   
Placing the hat on Lucy, the hat exclaimed. “Hufflepuff!”   
Lucy looked relieved and sighed deeply, a smile appearing on her face.   
McGonagall placed the hat on Miles. “Ravenclaw!” The hat exclaimed out.   
Miles didn’t look too happy about it for a moment, but he soon shrugged his shoulders and seemed to accept it. It wasn’t like anyone got do-overs.  
McGonagall took the hat off Miles and placed it on Connor’s head. There was silence for a few moments, making McGonagall look down at Connor.   
“Gryffindor!” The hat eventually yelled.   
Connor’s eyes widened, slight horror and disbelief in his eyes.   
McGonagall took the hat off from his head, “Now, Freya will explain the rules to you. I expect you all to listen carefully.” She said, giving each one of them a pointed look.   
Freya stepped forward, catching the attention of the three new people. “My name is Freya Williams. I am the longest staying Guardian there has been. I know the ropes better than anyone. Have you all been informed of the rules?” Freya asked, looking at each one with an expecting look.   
All three nodded their heads.   
Lucy raised her hand, “W-who are you guarding?” She asked quietly.   
When Freya looked in her direction, Lucy blushed and looked down at the ground.   
“James Sirius Potter,” Freya said in a plain tone.   
All three of their eyes widened. Everyone knew how much of an honour it was to guard a Potter. Lance only ever picked the best to guard a Potter due to the fact Harry Potter saved the Wizarding World – twice.   
“We’ll be seeing a lot of each other. Each one of the Potter’s Guardians always meets up every week.” Freya said looking to Connor.   
Connor weakly nodded his head.   
“Now, all Guardians report to me. Every two weeks you will give me reports on their behaviours. Always take notice to even the littlest of details. You are to also look out for any suspicious behaviour from other students.” Freya explains, her eyes icy and hard. She was staring at each of them, almost begging for them to challenge her.   
Someone always did.   
Not to be proven wrong either, Miles raised his hand. “Why do we need to do that?” Miles asked with annoyance in his tone.   
Freya’s icy glare landed on Miles, causing him to tense up. “I’ll give you an example then since you’re too much of an idiot to understand,” Freya mumbled softly.   
Miles shivered under her gaze, visibly backing down.   
Rolling her eyes, Freya began to explain. “James is practically a celebrity here. He has fangirls and sometimes girls become too obsessed with him. As a result, they attempted to use a love potion on him. You are here to look after your charge and make sure no danger comes to them.” Personally, Freya didn’t see what was so special about James, but she would never say this out loud.   
“Understand?” Freya asked, looking at Miles specifically.   
Miles nodded his head, his demeanour now very submissive.   
“For your first year here, I will help you. Come to me if you need any advice. But after that, you’re on your own.” Freya warned them with a severe look. She wasn’t here to be everyone else babysitter, she had her own charge to look after.   
McGonagall walked forward, three gold pendants in hand. “These are now yours. Keep these on at all times.” She said, handing them out to each one of them.  
Connor raised his hand shyly, “W-what are these?”  
Freya pulled out her own gold pendant from underneath her uniform. “These pendants contain a very powerful memory charm. After talking to someone, they will forget about you. They won’t even remember you’re even there. This is how we stay under the radar and completely hidden. The only people this charm doesn’t work on is other Guardians. Just remember to never take it off.” Freya explained, looking down at her own chain. It was a very simple and plain pendant, a normal and plain chain with a plain gold circle pendant. However, hers was different. On the pendant, there was five red gemstone around the edge.   
Lucy seemed to notice the difference. “Why does yours have gems on it?” She asked with a curious expression.   
“A gem appears on the pendant for every year you successful guard your charge,” McGonagall explained, also looking at Freya’s pendant.   
Freya knew that the pendant should be a sign of honour, but it meant nothing to her. Freya had guarded James for a successful five years and after every successful year, a gem would appear. After this year, she would get her sixth gem. However, not many Guardians managed to even get one gem.   
“There is also a tracking spell in the pendant, this is so you can constantly track your charge wherever they are,” Freya explained, putting her own pendant away. Through this piece of jewellery, Freya knew where James was at all times. Even when he used his invisibility cloak or the Marauder Map.  
Each one of them took the pendant and placed it around their necks.  
“Any questions?” McGonagall asked them, arching an eyebrow at them.   
They all shook their heads.   
McGonagall waved her wand, opening the door to her office instantly. “Then you are all dismissed. Now, off to the dorms with you.” She said, shooing them away with her pointed eyes.   
The three walked out of the office and Freya was about to walk out. However, McGonagall’s voice stopped her.   
“Not you, Miss Williams. I would like to speak with you.” She said, sitting at her desk.   
Freya turned her head, but wordlessly sat back down in the chair she had been sat.


	3. Chapter 3

Freya looked to McGonagall with a blank stare, which McGonagall returned with ease. She was the only person that Freya ever respected. Freya truly didn’t respect her parents, she thought of them to be selfish for pushing her to become a Guardian. There was no one for Freya to look up to – until she met McGonagall in her first year at Hogwarts. She could take Freya’s harshness and icy demeanour and return it with her own. She was the only woman that Freya could truly confide in too.   
“Miss Williams, I take it you’ve heard about Mister Grant?” McGonagall asked, her steely eyes staring at Freya.   
Nodding her head, Freya replied. “Yes, I was at his court case.”  
McGonagall’s eyes hardened. “Your parents?” She had made it very obvious about her dislike towards Freya’s parents.   
Freya smirked grimly, not at all offended by McGonagall’s dislike for her parents. “They said they wanted me to see what happens to people who can’t protect their charge.” She said in a dry tone. It had been very difficult to see a friend being charged with neglect of their charge. But Freya knew she could not have shown an outward reaction if she had then she would have got a beating for it. Freya’s parents were harsh with her training. The punishments were very severe if she didn’t get her spells right on the first go. Guardian’s wands were also different, they didn’t have the tracking charm on them so Freya could use magic outside school and not be caught for it. It was essential for a Guardian to be able to use magic all the time.   
“It is because of Mister Grant that I want you to be even more careful this year,” McGonagall said, her gaze softening slightly.   
Freya frowned, “Why?” It’s not that she didn’t trust McGonagall, but Freya liked to know why so she knew what to look out for.   
McGonagall sighed deeply. “After the kidnapping of Miss Finnegan, Lance Johnson has decided to take extra measures.”   
Alarm and dread filled Freya, “He’s not coming to Hogwarts, is he?” She quickly asked, feeling panicked. Hogwarts was the one place that Freya felt safe because Lance couldn’t enter Hogwarts. McGonagall never gave him permission to come and had banned him from trying to micromanage the Guardians from inside the castle.   
McGonagall scoffed. “Over my dead body. No, he is not coming to Hogwarts. But he will be assessing each and every Guardian. At one point, you will be called into the Ministry.” She said, looking very unhappy with the fact Lance was going to be pulling the students out from school to assess them. She didn’t like Lance Johnson and was one of the only people who would openly challenge him.   
Freya frowned, not liking the sound of it.   
“I’m going to be under a lot more scrutiny, aren’t I?” Freya asked after a few moments. She was the longest lasting Guardian, and because of that, she would be looked at more closely. People would be looking at her, wondering what her weakness was so they could take her down. In the Guardian business, it was all about power. The most powerful Guardians were look up to and given more privileges.   
McGonagall nodded her head, “Yes and that’s why I want you to be careful.”   
Freya nods her head. “I will.”   
There was silence in the office until Freya broke it. “Why are Durmstrang and Beauxbatons coming to Hogwarts?” Freya asked with a frown. She had a feeling she knew why, but she wanted this information confirmed before anything else.   
McGonagall pursed her lips. “We will be hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament.” She said with an unhappy expression. When she had been told by the Ministry, McGonagall had not been happy and had been very vocal about her dislike. However, all her complaints were ignored.   
Freya’s eye twitched. This was not going to be an easy year. 

HARRY POTTER 

Having left McGonagall’s office, Freya headed back to the Gryffindor dorms. Usually, on the first day back, Freya would meet up with all the Guardians and they would report to her and show her what they had learnt over the summer. However, Freya decided to cancel it today due to her meeting with McGonagall. During the summer, a Guardian would train while also watching over their charge. This was a very difficult task and many Guardians had fallen over this. It didn’t matter if a Guardian was tired, Lance was not forgiving and wouldn’t accept any excuses.   
Looking around, Freya could see that no one was around. Everyone was back in their dorms and Prefects would be patrolling the school halls. Freya rounded a corner when she suddenly stopped. She could hear whispering. Freya tended to have a good sense of hearing and knew that the whispering wasn’t pleasant.   
“You think you’re so special, being Harry Potter’s daughter.” A male voice said, a hiss in his tone.   
“So what if I am!” Yelled the voice of a young girl. Now Freya definitely recognised this voice, it belonged to Lily Luna Potter.   
Peeking around the corner, Freya could see two Slytherin boy corning Lily. They were glaring at her and their wands ready. Looking around, Freya tried to spot Connor – Lily’s Guardian. But she couldn’t see him anywhere at all. Annoyance filled Freya, it was his first day and Connor was already failing at his job. Freya looked at the scene once more, debating whether or not to intervene. It wasn’t her place too, she wasn’t Lily’s Guardian, but she couldn’t let her get hurt.   
“Maybe we should go to Eric.” The other Slytherin boy said this one sounded nervous.   
Eric scoffed, “And let her get away with her thinking she’s better than me?”  
“The only reason you’re doing this is that James beat you in Quidditch last year!” Lily yelled out at her attacker.   
This peaked Freya’s interest. Instantly, she knew who this Eric was. He was Eric Payne, the Slytherin Chaser and he was in the same year as James. Eric and James seemed to have a one-sided rivalry, Eric always seemed to want to out-do James, trying to beat him at everything. Only thing is, James always effortlessly won. James didn’t even need to try, he was naturally smart and great at sports. Freya had dealt with Eric a few times and she didn’t like him at all.   
Eric glowered, “I’ll show you! Cruc-”  
Freya sprang into action, fury filling her. Erica had been about to use an Unforgivable Curse on Lily. “Immobulus!” Freya jumped out from behind and shot the charm at Eric.   
Instantly, Eric froze and he couldn’t move. His eyes were wide as he stared at Freya, fear shining in his eyes. He didn’t remember her due to the powerful memory charm in her pendant, but he remembered the fear he felt for her.   
Freya looked to Michael – Eric’s friend. “Take him and leave. Now.” Freya said icily, her eyes glaring at them both.   
“Yes! Of course!” Michael cried out, fear also in his eyes. He then dragged his friend away quite forcefully, scurrying away as fast as he could.   
Now that they were gone, Freya looked over to Lily. “You okay?” She asked, arching an eyebrow at her. As Freya was looking at Lily, she couldn’t see any wounds, bruising or any marks.   
Lily just stared at her, her green eyes wide.   
Freya stared back saying nothing.   
Soon, Lily snapped back into reality, “I had everything under control!” Lily yelled out, fire appearing in her eyes.   
Freya turned to face her fully, “Really?” She said with obvious doubt in her tone. From her point of view, Lily stood no chance.   
Lily frowned and looked down at the ground. They both knew that it wasn’t the case. When Lily had heard Eric start to cast an Unforgivable curse, she froze. Lily had never been in this situation before, she was only in her second year. That’s why she was so surprised when she saw Freya jump out of nowhere, she hadn’t even heard her approach.   
“Get back to your dorm,” Freya said turning to walk away.   
Lily’s eyes widened, “Wait!”   
Freya stopped in her tracks but doesn’t turn around. “Yes?” She says, her voice plain and dry.   
“I… Thank you,” Lily whispered lowly, her head bowed. She was embarrassed that she couldn’t have handled the situation herself. There was also something about the girl in front of her that made her nervous.   
Freya turned her head to look at Lily. Seeing Lily so embarrassed made the edges of Freya’s mouth twitch, but she soon schooled her expressions.   
Lily looked up suddenly, “But please don’t tell my brothers!” She pleaded, clamping both her hands together in a begging manner. The last thing she needed was either one of her brothers found out about this, they would go ballistic.   
Freya smirked slightly, “Your secret is safe with me.” There was no way she would talk to either Albus or James anyway.   
Lily sighed in relief before running off to the Gryffindor common room.   
Now that Lily was gone, Freya relaxed. But she was confident that Lily would soon forget about this encounter, and so would Eric and Michael. Freya turned around and now headed for the Gryffindor dorms, making sure to stay a good distance away from Lily. As she walked, she began to feel annoyed and it was only growing the closer she got to the Gryffindor Tower.   
Freya watched as Lily entered the dorm room. Slowly, she followed after her and walked into her dorm room with ease, ignoring the Fat Lady’s singing. Once inside, Freya looked around and spotted Connor. He was sitting on one of the couches near the fire.   
Connor spotted Freya and he smiled shyly, “Oh! Hi Freya.”   
Freya ignored him and grabbed him by his arm, dragging him along with her. Connor protested and tried to break free, but Freya’s ironclad grip on his arm wasn’t going anywhere. Freya dragged the younger student out of the Gryffindor common room and into an empty classroom. She then locked the door and used a silencing charm around the room.   
“W-what’s wrong?” Connor asked nervously, looking at the ground.   
Freya turned to Connor and glared at him. “Lily was just nearly attacked by two sixth year Slytherins. Where were you?” She hissed out lowly, venom in her tone.   
Connor flinched back and his eyes widened, “W-what?!”  
Freya walked forward, not stopping. Connor nervously stepped back, feeling very intimidated and scared. The glare from Freya was enough to scare anyone away. Freya didn’t stop walking forward until she had cornered him into a wall.   
“You have only been a Guardian for a few hours and yet you’ve already failed.” Freya hissed lowly, her glare hardening. Her magic began to pulse as it swirled around inside of her. Her magic was reacting to her anger.   
Connor cowered and whimpered, he could feel the spike in Freya’s magic.   
Looking into Connor’s eyes, Freya could truly see how afraid he actually was. This seemed to bring Freya back to earth as her magic began to calm down. Sighing deeply, Freya began to speak. “I have no choice but to report this incident,” She said with a blank expression.   
“No! Please don’t!” Connor shouted immediately, a pleading look in his eyes.   
Freya arched an eyebrow, “And why not?” It was one of the many duties of a Guardian to report anyone shirking their responsibilities. It was an unspoken rule that if anyone was caught covering for another Guardian then they would both get punished severely.   
“My family,” Connor whimpered softly, “If my family found out that I had failed… it would be a disaster…” Tears began to form in his eyes and he began to shake. Fear was the main emotion he was feeling.   
Freya frowned and looked down at the ground. She knew that feeling all too well. Ever since she had been given James to protect, her family had pressured her. She had to do well if she didn’t then there would be consequences and she certainly didn’t want to end up like her sister. That was what Freya had always thought to herself over the years, it’s what helped her get through the bad years. She perfectly understood the situation Connor was in at the moment too. People had been wanting her to fail for years so they could grab her spot. If she were to lose her spot, shame would be brought onto her family and her life would pay for the price.   
Sighing deeply, Freya closed her eyes. “Fine.”   
Connor’s head shot up, “R-really?”   
Freya opened her eyes and looked down at him. “This one I’ll keep it a secret. If it happens again though, I’ll have no choice.”   
Connor’s eyes brightened up and he flung himself at Freya, hugging her tightly. “Thank you!”  
Freya stiffened and didn’t relax. She didn’t like physical contact, it was something she avoided at all times. This was also something she did expect. Slowly, she used her free arms and pulled Connor off from her with a sneer.   
Realising what he had done, Connor blushed deeply and jumped away from her. “I-I am so sorry!” He yelled out in a panic.   
Freya’s eye twitched at his loud volume. She turned around and erased the charms she had placed around the room before leaving. 

HARRY POTTER 

Two weeks later   
Freya sat in her Defence Against the Dark Arts class (DADA for short) and in all honesty, she was bored. Classes for Guardians weren’t fun due to the fact they weren’t allowed to participate with the lessons. They are not allowed to raise their hands or participate in the practice unless the whole class joined in. However, if it is required to do a practical, then the Guardian must make themselves ‘average’, they couldn’t stand out at all. It also didn’t help when Freya didn’t like the teacher either. She stared at her teacher with a bored expression.   
Her teacher was Edward Lupin, but he was known as Teddy to everyone else. He was the child of Remus Lupin and Tonks. He resembled his father greatly, only he didn’t have the scars on his face. Teddy did, however, have his mother’s metamorphmagus abilities. Teddy was tall, with longish blue hair and brown eyes. He was also half werewolf, something that not many people knew about besides his family and some Guardians.   
Teddy clapped his hands together, getting everyone’s attention. “Now class, today we are going to continue on learning about mythical creatures. Today’s creature is dragons.” He said, smiling pleasantly at everyone.   
Fred immediately raised his hand. “Will we get to see one?” He asked, a large grin on his face.   
Laughing slightly, Teddy shook his head. “Unfortunately not. They’re much too dangerous in person.” He explained lightly.   
Fred and James seem to frown, disappointed, but they soon cheered up.  
Katrina leaned over to Freya, who was sitting next to her. “I feel so sorry for Cordelia,” Katrina whispered softly.  
Freya looked over and sees Cordelia’s panicked look. No doubt, she was worried about Fred being around a dragon. It would be any Guardian’s worst nightmare. Fred was reckless and fearless. It’s because of that he had so many Guardians, no one could keep up with him and eventually, they broke down.   
Teddy looked over at everyone with a smile, “Now can anyone tell me what a dragon’s weakness is?” He asked with a kind tone.   
All the girls in the class seemed to sigh dreamily at their teacher, while Freya rolled her eyes at them. The joke was on all of them anyway, Teddy was in a very committed relationship with Victoire Weasley (now Lupin) and had recently got married to her.   
Teddy frowned when no one puts their hand up, “No one?”   
‘Their eyes and insides.’ Freya thought to herself, rolling her eyes once more. To her, it was obvious. Dragon’s skins were too thick to ever penetrate with magic or weapons. The only vulnerable thing about them was their eyes and inside where their dragon skin didn’t cover. However, even when she knew the answer, she wasn’t allowed to say it out loud.   
However, Teddy moved on. “It’s their eyes, as well as their insides. They’re not protected there.” He said, waving his wand so the answer appears on the board behind him.  
Movement caught Freya’s attention out of the corner of her eyes. She turned her head slightly and saw Katrina besides her writing a note. Within seconds, Katrina slyly passed her note over to Freya. Opening the note, Freya saw what’s written.   
Is the meeting happening tonight?  
Freya looked up at Katrina and nodded her head. The other schools would be arriving within the next few days and some things needed to be set straight before they did.   
Just then, the door to the classroom opened and in walked Eric Payne. Eric now sported a black eye and looked very moody. The classroom chatter instantly died and everyone turned to look at him. Even Teddy’s cheerful gaze died, and blank expression filled his face instead.   
Freya smirked and sat back in her chair, watching the sense unfold in front of her. Katrina, however, looked nervous.   
Eric’s friend, Michael, hadn’t been able to keep his mouth shut about what happened. He had been wracked with guilt and ended up telling someone what happened. It then spread like wildfire in the castle and it had eventually reached James and Albus. Freya had watched the whole scene; James had been the one to give Eric the black eye. Albus also got a good hit in too, but he mainly watched to make sure no professors were coming.   
“Take a seat, Mr Payne,” Teddy said, his voice tense.   
Eric wordlessly nodded his head and walked over to his seat. As he walked past James’ desk, James stuck his foot out and let Eric trip over it. Eric fell to the ground, but quickly got back up and shot James a dirty look. However, James had been sneaky, and no one but James, Eric and Freya saw what actually happened.   
“Without making a scene, Mr Payne.” Teddy looked to him, his tone a bit more forceful.   
Eric blushed darkly and hurried off to his seat.   
James and Fred sniggered to themselves as Teddy got back on with class.   
Freya looked over at Eric and saw he was glaring at James with a venomous expression. James was at the front of the class, along with Fred so he didn’t see Eric glaring daggers at him. Eric sat at the back, where Freya and Katrina were too.   
Eric began to make magic spit-balls, stilling glaring at James.   
Seeing this, Freya stealthily took out her wand and waited.   
Just as Eric was about to take his first shot at James, Freya waved her wand. “Flipendo.” She whispered softly.   
Instantly, one the chair legs that Eric was sitting on was destroyed. This imbalance caused Eric to go flying onto the floor. It happened so suddenly that he was thrown off his chair and onto the floor with a loud and sharp cry. Without anyone noticing, Freya then repaired the damaged leg so no one could see the damage that was caused.   
Teddy stopped his lesson once more and glared at him, “Must you disturb my class one more?” He asked, crossing his arms in an impatient manner.   
Again, girls swooned in the class, loving Teddy’s sternness.   
Blushing darkly, Eric replied, “I’m sorry sir.” He had his head bowed and wasn’t looking at anyone. But he did have his fists clenched under the table.   
Something that Freya certainly didn’t miss.   
Nodding his head, Teddy turned back around and continued with the rest of the lesson without any more disturbances.   
Freya watched Eric for a few more moments. He was still glaring at James and his fists were clenched in anger. His foot was tapping on the floor and he was shaking. Eric looked like he was going to fly off the handle at any moment and that greatly concerned Freya. Looking around the room silently, before looking back at Eric. She began to focus on his mind and used her Legilimency. Every Guardian was trained in Legilimency because they had to make sure no one was a threat to their charge. If a Guardian couldn’t use Legilimency they couldn’t be one, it was one of the biggest requirements for being a Guardian.   
As she searched through his mind, she could hear his thoughts.   
‘I’m going to get him one day. One day, he will regret treating me like second best. He thinks he’s so great, being Harry Potter’s child.’ Eric sneered to himself, stilling glaring at James.   
Freya pulled back and frowned. She didn’t like using Legilimency long because the longer she was in someone’s mind, the more likely they would notice her. Freya got what she needed anyway. Eric was becoming a threat and needed to be dealt with sooner than later. 

HARRY POTTER

Later that day   
Dinner had now finished. As everyone was walking back to their dorms to the library, the Guardians were somewhere else. Their meeting room was the Chamber of Secrets, one of the only other secret places in Hogwarts. They had destroyed the original entrance and changed it so they could enter the Chamber easily. They wouldn’t have needed to, but none of them spoke parseltongue or knew any words. The Guardians couldn’t use the Room of Requirements either as that was the room James and his family always used and therefore it would be too risky.   
Now standing in the Chamber of Secrets, Freya looked to all the Guardians in the room with a void expression.   
“What is the weekly report?” Freya asked, looking bored.   
“No changes.” This was the response from most Guardians. Being one was actually more boring than expected. Yes, they had to constantly watch their charge, but sometimes nothing ever happened.  
Nodding her head, Freya decided to move on. “The next thing I want to mention is Eric Payne, does anyone know him?” She asked, looking around the room.   
At the mention of Eric, Connor looked nervous. He wouldn’t meet Freya’s eyes because he knew that he had messed up. It had been his first day and he had failed to protect Lily. For a moment, he thought that Freya would tell everyone about his mistake.   
Castiel Winters raised his hand. He is a fifth year Slytherin and is Dominique’s Guardian. “I do, but not very well. He seems like a very angry person.” He admitted with a frown on his face.   
Other Guardians seemed to nod their heads.   
“He is. He tried to attack Lily Potter with an Unforgivable curse, but Connor stopped him in time.” Freya said, looking impassive.   
Connor’s head shot up as he stared at Freya in awe.   
Katrina grinned at him, “Good job!”  
Connor blushed and muttered a quick thanks before ducking his head down. He couldn’t believe Freya had covered for him in front of everyone. Other Guardians were giving Connor compliments too, fully believing Freya’s words.   
“What is going to happen to him?” Simon Wallas spoke up, his hand also raised. He was a second year Hufflepuff and the Guardian of Hugo Weasley.   
“Headmistress McGonagall has dealt with him. But I believe we need to take further action. He had threatened James Potter in his mind and physically threatened Lily Potter. There is a possibility he will strike again and we need to stop it.” Freya explained in a calm and commanding manner. McGonagall had indeed given Eric detention, deducted house points and called his parents – who were livid by the way. But McGonagall wouldn’t be able to help them this time as Eric hadn’t actually made a threat yet, Freya had only read his mind. But this was what Guardians are here for.   
The room went silent for a moment.   
Everyone could read in-between the lines and knew what Freya was implying.   
Eric needed to change his behaviour, or else.   
“Is there a chance that Eric could be Voldemort’s spawn?” Joseph asked with a concerned expression on his face.   
Freya frowned and began to think. The other reason for the Guardians being created was to find the spawn of Voldemort. Eric did kind of fit the description – dark black hair, a sadistic personality and had a hatred for the Potter family. If Eric truly was the spawn of Voldemort, they couldn’t let that go.   
“Alexander, Katrina. You two do some digging, find out about his past.” Freya snapped out, glaring at anyone who would dare oppose her on this.   
Alexander and Katrina nodded their heads. Alexander was Katrina’s younger brother, he is a fifth year Ravenclaw and was the Guardian to Alice Longbottom – Neville’s daughter. Those two also happened to be the best at digging up information. When those two came together trying to get information, nothing could stand in their way.   
However, someone pipped up. “Why don’t we just interrogate him now?” Castiel asked with a sour look.   
Freya’s glare landed on him and hardened. She wasn’t surprised by Castiel’s outburst. He had made it a habit to second guess her every word because he wanted to be the leader of the Guardians, but Freya wasn’t giving that title up just yet. Castiel was arrogant and wanted nothing more than power. If he had his way, it would bring the Guardians down in an instant.   
“There is a chance he may not be Voldemort’s spawn, meaning that we would be condemning the wrong person,” Freya explained, her tone as icy as her gaze. There was a punishment for the Guardians if they didn’t identify a threat, but there wasn’t one for getting it wrong. This means it gave more opportunity for Guardians to pin the blame on anyone and get away with it.   
Castiel fell silent when people agreed with Freya.   
Nodding her head, Freya began to speak once more. “Now, moving onto the arrival to Durmstrang and Beauxbatons.”   
The room went silent as all chatter ceased instantly.   
“I have been informed by McGonagall that we will be hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament this year,” Freya said with a frown. She still didn’t like this news but there was nothing she could do about it. The best course of action was being prepared for it.   
There were a few gasps but otherwise, it was deadly silent.   
Freya continued to speak. “None of our charges is old enough to enter the tournament, but we all know what happened to Harry Potter.” Harry had been only fourteen when he was entered into the competition and without his consent. For all any of them knew, any of his three children could, unfortunately, follow in his footsteps.   
Cordelia spoke up, “What would you like us to do?” She asked, her brows furrowed together.   
“Watch. Make sure no one puts your charge’s name in the goblet. If they end up in the tournament, it will be very difficult to protect them.” Freya warned, her stormy grey eyes darkening.   
A murmur of agreement passed in the room.   
“Now this brings me onto the most important topic of them all. I have received word from Lance Johnson.” She said, keeping her voice calm.   
Everyone in the room seems to freeze, especially Ryan. He looked resentful, which was understandable since his best friend had been killed by Lance. Everyone knew that when Lance decided to get in contact with them, it was never good.   
“I have no doubt at all that everyone here already knows about what happened to Caitlin Finnegan,” Freya said, looking at everyone’s reactions.   
There seemed to be a tense silence, which Freya took as a yes.   
Lucy raised her hand, “W-what about her Guardian?” She asked, her voice small and nervous.   
Ryan clenched his fists, his gaze locked on the ground he was standing on.   
“He is dead.” Freya bluntly said, her face void of any emotion. She didn’t want to have Katrina know this, but it was unavoidable now.   
Katrina gasped, her eyes wide in horror. Ryan grabbed her hand and held onto it tightly, both were sharing the pain of losing someone close to them.   
Freya continued on, “It is because of this Lance had decided to do a review. He wants to interview each and every one of us. There is a good chance that some of you won’t be a Guardian by the end of the year.” She said, her gaze sweeping over the entire room. No one looked happy about this situation, something that didn’t surprise Freya.   
“When will they begin?” Ryan asked, staring Freya in the eyes.   
Freya returned his burning gaze with ease, “Within the next few days.”   
There were multiple gasps around the room. People began looking around nervously, it wasn’t enough time to prepare themselves. There was no telling what Lance would do or what he was looking for. The prospect of losing their position was too great.   
“Everyone is dismissed,” Freya said, nodding her head.   
Everyone began to disperse and left the Chamber of Secrets. It is the younger Guardians that leave first, while the older ones lag behind. Freya was about to leave too, but she noticed that Katrina and Ryan were still standing there.   
Katrina looked at her, tears streaming down her face, “You knew…” She whispered, hurt and betrayal shining in her usually bright eyes.   
Freya said nothing.  
Neither does Ryan, he was looking at the ground in shame.   
“W-why didn’t you say anything?” Katrina whimpered, wiping her face but the tears just kept running.   
“Does it really matter?” Freya asked her face void of anything and everything. Seeing her friend cry did hurt her, but she pushed that aside and let her ‘ice queen’ side take over.   
Katrina choked on a sob, the tears falling faster. “I-I hate you…” She whispered, running away and back to her dorm.   
Freya could feel the twist of guilt in her chest, but she ignored it.   
Ryan left too, without saying a word.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day 

It was early Friday morning and the sun was only just rising. However, Freya was up and she wasn’t the only ones that were. Freya stood in the edge of the Quidditch arena, watching James as he trained his team. As the new Gryffindor’s Quidditch Captain, James was pushing his team extra hard, and that meant early morning training sessions. He was making all his team members try out and training them down to the bone. Even though all Quidditch matches was cancelled this year due to the upcoming Triwizard Tournament, that didn’t stop James from ensuring that they all stayed in shape. Freya watched at the side-lines where she couldn’t be seen, but she watched every interaction and read all their minds. Most of it consisted of annoyance at getting up this early.   
James cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Now, run a lap around the field!” James shouted his order.   
A chorus of groans was his response.   
“Mate, can’t we take it easy?” Fred asked, looking tired. Like his father and his namesake, he too was a Beater on the team.   
James arched a brow at him, “Want to make it five laps?” He asked, his tone still playful but serious at the same time.   
Immediately, Fred shook his head, not wanting to run even more laps around the field.   
“Now get to it!” James yelled out, also running the lap with his team.  
Lily looked severely unhappy but didn’t back down. She wanted to prove herself as one of the team and pushed herself to follow her brother.   
As Freya watched him, she couldn’t help but feel impressed. His training methods were actually effective and for once James seemed serious. In all the years Freya had watched him, she had only seen him get serious about a few things. Quidditch, his pranks and his family. No one could get in the way of his Quidditch or pranks, and Eric already learned what happens when you mess with the Potters. Freya also watched the team. James was the Keeper on the team, Fred and Roxanne were the Beaters, as no one else could seem to keep up with Fred. Lily was the Seeker of the team – something that James didn’t want as he didn’t want his sister getting hurt – but she was extremely talented at it. The Chasers were a mix, one was Oliver Wood’s child and the other two didn’t have war hero parents. However, Freya saw that as fair. Freya knew that James would be under scrutiny for choosing his family members as his team and that’s why he treated his family members more harshly and pushed them even harder than everyone else. It was to show everyone that he doesn’t pick favourites.   
Scowling to herself, Freya didn’t see the appeal to Quidditch. Of course, being a Guardian she wasn’t allowed to play it or the join the team. It was expected of the war hero’s children to nearly all be into Quidditch. At first, Freya had resented it that she couldn’t play, but she soon grew to dislike the sport anyway when she found out that she did excel at flying very much. Now, Freya just saw it as a hassle because it required a lot of effort keeping James safe during games.   
Looking up briefly, Freya could see the other Guardians posted around the place. All of them watching their charge intently.   
Hearing footsteps behind her, Freya turned her head and saw Ryan.   
“What do you need?” Freya bluntly asked, knowing that Ryan didn’t need to be here. Scorpius wasn’t anywhere in sight.   
Ryan looked to the ground, “You told Katrina.” He said, his voice low.   
Freya nodded her head, then looking back to James. He was now making everyone fly around the court and shouting at them if they got something wrong. It seemed a few of them were going too slow for James’ liking.   
“Why?” Ryan asked, looking up at her.   
“She was going to find out anyway,” Freya answered with ease. “Might as well find it out from me than someone else.” She knew that if Katrina found out that she knew and hadn’t told her, it wouldn’t have gone down well.   
Ryan remained silent.   
Freya turned her head, “How is she?”  
Sighing deeply, Ryan closed his eyes. “She’s still hurt, but she starting to come round. Just give her time.”  
Freya nodded her head, not saying anything. Katrina had been off with her since last night and wouldn’t speak to her when walking to the Dining Hall. However, Freya had fully anticipated this behaviour, Katrina had just found out that the guy she viewed as a brother had died.   
“I’m worried though,” Ryan said suddenly.   
Freya turned her body to face him, giving him her full attention. “Katina will be fine.” She said calmly.   
Ryan shook his head, “Not about that. It’s about the review and the Triwizard Tournament.”  
Freya frowned but nodded her head in understanding. This year definitely wasn’t going to be an easy one at all. The Guardians knew that they needed to be alert when Durmstrang came – they didn’t have a very good reputation, particularly with dark magic. They were also arriving later that day, which made all the Guardians unnerved. Then there is the review and no one knew who was going to be the first one.   
“There is nothing we can do about it. We just need to sit tight.” Freya said, glancing back at James every now and again. She didn’t need to have such a high guard as there were so many other Guardians present. But that didn’t mean she was slacking off in the slightest.   
Ryan bit his lip and started playing with his hands. “I just have a really bad feeling.” He admitted softly with a frown on his face.   
Freya nodded her head, agreeing with him. She too had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. The only difference between her and Ryan was that she could hide it better.   
“What do you think he’ll review?” Ryan asked suddenly.   
Freya looked at Ryan, her brow arched.   
Ryan flushed for a moment before regaining his composure. “Your family is quite close to Lance, I was just hoping you may know…” His voice trailed off, and his eyes averted to the ground. Ryan knew how much Freya disliked Lance and that’s why he was reluctant to ask.   
Freya sneered at the mention of Lance Johnson. Her family was close to Lance, extremely close. So close that Freya felt uncomfortable. Her mother was a very big fan of his and her father was Lance’s friend during their Hogwarts days when they were young. Lance would often come to their house and have dinner with them, something Freya hated with a passion, but she was never allowed to say anything negative. If she did anything her mother disliked, she would be punished for it severely.   
But Freya did give it some thought. “Lance could test us on anything. But his biggest thing would be loyalty.” Freya said, remembering how Lance would always question her on who she was loyal too. Lance believed that the Guardians should follow his every word, he didn’t like free will. Hence why he gave all the Guardians a mark on their necks.   
Ryan frowned, and his eyes widened.   
Freya looked around before getting her wand out. “Silencio,” Freya whispered, allowing her and Ryan to speak while not being listened into.   
“You’re going to have to curb that hatred you have for him,” Freya warned, but there was an understanding there.   
Ryan sighed deeply, running his hands through his hair. “I know. But he killed Kyle. I can’t just forget that.” His voice became thick with emotion and his fists began to clench.   
Freya observed Ryan for a while. She had known for a long time that Ryan was, in fact, gay and was in love with Kyle. However, Kyle was not gay. Ryan had kept his feelings a secret along with his sexuality. Freya knew his parents and they would not accept him if he came out to them. His mother would probably come to accept it, but his father definitely would not.   
“You don’t have to. You just need to use that as motivation to not end up like him.” Freya replied back, a hollow look in her eyes. She knew that from experience. She couldn’t hate Lance out in the open, but she could hate him from the inside. However, Lance was also a skilled Legilimency but what he didn’t know what that Freya was skilled at Occlumency.   
Ryan looked up at her, “…Have you lost someone too?” He asked, hesitation in his tone.   
Freya said nothing.   
However, Ryan seemed to understand. “Does it get easier?” He asked, willing himself not to cry. This was the first time he had lost someone to close to him and who he cared about.   
“Eventually.” Freya lied with ease. She had always been good at lying, it was as easy as breathing to her.   
Ryan sighed in relief.   
Freya looked up at the sky and saw that the sun rising even more. She looked over to James and his team and sees them packing away.   
“Time to go,” Freya said, cancelling the spell. 

HARRY POTTER 

Later that day 

Everyone stood on the Great Hall, waiting for the boys of Durmstrang to make their entrance. They had been scheduled to arrive first while the Beauxbatons will be arriving moments later by being ‘fashionably late’. McGonagall and all the other professors were making a fuss over all the students, making sure that they were presentable. Freya was watching James even closer than before. There was something about the large grin on his face that didn’t settle well with Freya. Cordelia also seemed to be worried too, but that was because Fred also seemed to be looking very happy with himself. Freya knew that if both of them looked smug, then something was definitely about to go wrong.   
Just then, the doors to the Main Hall slammed open with a huge force. In front was a man who looked rough. He was tall and intimidating, with dark bearded and dark eyes. He had no hair, but his head was covered by a furred hat. He wore a long black fur coat that reached the floor and black heavy boots. In his hand was a large staff, that he was using to hit the ground, making sparks fly as it met the ground. Behind the man came an army of Durmstrang boys. All of them were tall, large and bulky. They were all draped in long fur coats and hats. Each one of them also had a staff and were also using it to hit the ground with.  
McGonagall stepped down to the small stairs to greet them. “Vladimir Fisker. I hope the trip was eventful.” She said, keeping her voice even.   
If Freya hadn’t of known McGonagall as well as she did, she wouldn’t have seen anything wrong with this interaction. But Freya did know McGonagall well. She knew that McGonagall didn’t like Vladimir, she was too tense around him. But that was understandable. Freya had heard how Vladimir had been under investigation for the use of dark magic on muggles, but nothing was ever proven.   
Vladimir grunted while looking around the room. “It was boring.” He replied in a rough, thick Russian voice.  
McGonagall nodded her head and showed him his seat. Vladimir would be sitting with all the other professors, but on the end, near Hagrid. The Durmstrang students would be sitting with the Hufflepuffs – who looked very nervous, to say the least.   
James leaned over and whispered in Fred’s ear, which caught the attention of Freya. She turned her head and saw James with his wand out but discreetly hidden underneath the table.   
Sighing silently, Freya concentrated and used her Legilimency.   
‘Let’s give those them all something to remember Hogwarts by.’ James thought to himself, looking very smug.   
Freya instantly left James’ head. She could never stay too long in his head. James was actually a lot smarter than people gave him credit. When Freya had been younger, she had made the mistake of staying in James’ mind too long, and he had noticed. He had looked around the class, looking for the person who had tried to invade his mind. If Freya didn’t have the necklace that helped to make her practically invisible or she would have been caught. But she had learned from her mistakes and knew never to overstay her welcome in his mind.   
Taking her own wand out, Freya waited.   
Feeling movement above her, Freya looked up and saw multiple dung bombs floating. There was an invisibility charm on them, but it had flickered briefly, giving Freya enough time to see. In an instant, Freya knew that Fred was behind the invisibility charm as that was his best charm.   
Freya delicately moved her wand as she diffused each and every bomb. There weren’t that many of them, only thirty – which was a small number when it came to James and Fred’s pranks. Usually, Freya didn’t get involved with their pranks, she usually let them be. But, she couldn’t this time. If those two pranked the Durmstrang boys, they would be making enemies. That would be making more work for her and Cordelia later.   
Only a few moments later – when Freya was done diffusing the bombs – the Beauxbatons arrived.   
In all honesty, Freya smelt them before she saw them. A flowery scent invaded Freya’s senses, almost making her sneeze.   
A woman stood before the Beauxbatons students. She was tall and looked very beautiful. She had short blonde hair and blue eyes. Her skin was pale and there didn’t seem to be any trace of imperfection about her. She was wearing white fur with sapphires decorating her neck and long bony fingers. Behind her stood the boys and girls from Beauxbatons. They were all dressed in beautifully made satin gowns and pants – all a delicate shade of blue. Each one of them had hats that covered half their faces from everyone. They all seemed to wear furs, ranging from a multitude of colours. But, from what Freya could see, they were all beautiful people.   
However, Freya wasn’t looking at their beauty, she was looking for Louis’ Guardian – Noah Bernard. Fleur had wanted at least one of her children to go to Beauxbatons, and Louis wanted to go. His other two siblings only ever wanted to go to Hogwarts, but Louis wanted to be a little different.   
McGonagall stepped down once more, this time a warmer look in her eyes. “Renée La Blanc, how lovely to see you again.” She said a small smile on her face.   
Madame Renée nodded her head, smiling. “Oui, it is lovely to see you too, McGonagall.” She said, her thick French accent very noticeable.   
McGonagall nodded and motions for Renée to sit at the professor's table at the front of the hall, on the opposite side from Vladimir. The Beauxbatons students were then motioned to sit at the Gryffindor table.  
James’ eyes lit up when the Beauxbatons girls sat down at his table.   
Freya rolled her eyes, of course, he’d be happy.   
Once all the students were seated, and the feast began, Fred and James waved their wands discreetly. However, nothing happened. No dung bombs falling or scream from anybody.   
“Fred, what’s happened?” James whispered lowly to his friend with frustration in his tone. Their pranks always went off flawlessly, so this was definitely something new.   
Fred shook his head. “I’ve got no idea mate. It should have worked perfectly.” He whispered back, looking just as frustrated.   
Freya smirked to herself and puts her wand away.   
McGonagall looked around the room, as she stood once more. The feast momentarily stopped, everyone attention was now on her.  
“Now with every present, I can now formally announce that we will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament. I, Madame Renée and Professor Vladimir will be the judges of this tournament, along with two others from the Ministry.” McGonagall explained, her voice echoing through the entire all.   
There were cheers, mainly from Durmstrang.   
McGonagall cleared her throat, commanding attention. “There will be four challenges that will be spread throughout the year. These challenges are meant to test you on your magical prowess and how to cope with danger. However, this tournament will be different.” She stopped, leaving a very ominous pause.   
This got every Guardian’s attention.  
“This tournament will be different for one reason. The reason is that there will be two people from every school entering. That means each school has two chances to win the cup. One is called a Champion and the other is a Shield.” McGonagall said, her old eyes sweeping the room, looking at each and every one of the Guardians.  
Freya’s eyes widened as she felt her insides freeze. That would mean the chances of a Guardian’s charge entering the tournament had just doubled.   
There was a low murmur in the hall, everyone was abuzz over this news.   
“The Champion entering must be of age. No one under seventeen years old may enter this tournament. The Champion will be chosen by an impartial selector, which is the Goblet of Fire. That is not the case for the Shield, they have to volunteer. More information will be given as the time draws closer.” McGonagall said with an unhappy expression.   
McGonagall turned around and tapped her wand three times on the casket that was close to the podium. The lid creaked open slowly and McGonagall reached inside it. She pulled out a large wooden cup that was engulfed in blue flames. Carefully, McGonagall closes the casket and places the cup on top of it so everyone in the Hall could see it.   
“If anyone wishes to enter, write your name on a piece of parchment and drop it into the fire. In one week, we will find out who the Champions and Shields will be. However, an age line will be placed around the Goblet.” McGonagall explained, looking out at everyone as she spoke.   
“A word of caution. Once your name is placed into the Goblet, you cannot back out if your name is called. If selected, you will be bound by a magical contract, so be certain.” McGonagall explained, her Scottish voice sounding grim.   
Cordelia turned to Freya. “This means none of them could end up competing.” She said with a sigh of relief in her tone.   
Freya looked at her. “Don’t be so sure about that.” Turning her head, Freya gouges James’ reaction. But she was surprised at what she was seeing.   
James looked afraid. He looked genuinely afraid along with the rest of his family.   
Freya had watched James for years – five years to be exact – and she had never once seen him afraid of anything. James was brave, he always faced every challenge with a smirk, even when he had his first game of Quidditch when he was eleven years old – much like his father. However, even when James was afraid, he never showed it.   
A sharp tug snapped Freya out of her thoughts. Turning her head back to Cordelia, she saw a large owl flying into Hogwarts, one that Freya recognised instantly. No other student would recognise it because this owl always slipped in with all the other owls delivering mail at this time, but every Guardian is taught to recognise this bird on sight. That was because that owl belonged to Lance Johnson. It was a great horned owl called Atlas, it was very vicious and snapped at anyone that came near it – all but Lance.   
If any Guardian was talking, it immediately ceased when this bird flew into Hogwarts. Even McGonagall had stopped talking. She was glaring at the bird – she hated anything relating to Lance Johnson coming into this castle and that included his bird.   
Atlas landed in front of Freya, a pristine white letter in its mouth. It seemed to be glaring at Freya with its large eyes.   
Freya sneered at the bird and snatched the letter from its beak before it could snap at her fingers. She had made that mistake in her first year by trying to pet it. She had nearly lost a finger that day, but an older Guardian had snatched her hand away just in time.   
Atlas glared at Freya once more before flying away along with all of the other owls.   
Looking at the letter, Freya could see it had the Guardian’s symbol on it and it was addressed to her. Wordlessly, Freya opens the letter. 

Dear Miss Freya Louise Williams,   
By order of Lance Johnson, you must attend a meeting in the Ministry of Guardians. There, your status as a Guardian will be discussed and reviewed.  
You are to arrive at 11:00 am tomorrow. Tardiness will not be accepted and will be punished in late.   
Burn this letter after reading it.   
Yours sincerely,   
Eva Lamb.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning 

Freya now stood in McGonagall’s office, getting ready to take the Floo Network to the Ministry of Magic. She was dressed in smart clothes and not her usual uniform. Freya wore a black gown and cloak along with small black heels. Usually, McGonagall wouldn’t let any students leave the premises for anything other than to Hogsmeade on the weekends. However, these were different circumstance. If a Guardian was called by Lance then they must go, not even McGonagall could stop it. The other alternative was that Lance came to the castle and McGonagall was completely against that.   
“I want you back here within the next two hours. If you are not back then I will come and get you myself.” McGonagall said, looking at Freya to make sure there were no imperfections. She didn’t want Lance to pick at anything like he had some students before.   
Nodding her head, Freya replied. “I’ll make sure to tell him that.” However, she knew this was a lie. She could never tell Lance this, it would only enrage him and cause even more tension between McGonagall and Lance.   
McGonagall nodded her head, even though she knew that Freya was lying. “Good.”   
Even though McGonagall looked completely composed, Freya could see that she was seething on the inside. Asking a student to leave Hogwarts – even on a weekend and also being underage – was seen as abominable to McGonagall.   
Turning around, Freya intends to enter the fireplace, but her name was called rather loudly.   
“Freya! Wait!”  
Freya turned around and saw Ryan and Katrina running over towards her. They stop only feet away from her. At this moment, McGonagall said nothing about barging into her office and momentarily left to give them some space.   
“What do you want?” Freya asked with a blank expression.   
Ryan calmed down enough to speak. “We heard you were the first one that Lance called.” He said, looking extremely worried.   
Freya nodded her head, “Yes he did.”   
“But you never told us!” Katrina exclaimed, her bright eyes wild with worry.   
Freya arched a brow at her. “Last I recall, you weren’t speaking to me.” She hadn’t meant it to come out as harsh as she did, but she couldn’t take back her words.   
Katrina flinched. “I deserved that….” She mumbled softly, her gaze landing on the floor instead.   
Freya sighed deeply. “I should have told you sooner.” She hadn’t wanted to tell Katrina anything, but Lance had forced her hand due to this review of his. Katrina was so happy and bright, the exact opposite of herself and Freya wanted to keep it that way. If Katrina had found out from someone else then it would have been worse.   
Katrina shook her head. “No, I understand why you didn’t. Ryan told me.” She said, sparing a thankful glance towards their male friend.   
Freya looked at Ryan, only to see him grinning sheepishly.   
McGonagall came back into the room. “Miss Williams, if you do not leave now you’re going to be late.” She said with a warning in her tone.   
Nodding her head, Freya looked to Ryan and Katrina. “I’ll be back soon.” She said as she attempted to smile. But it looked faked and forced, which it was. After trying a few times to smile, she stopped and just smirked. Freya hadn’t smiled in years – not a true smile anyway.   
Biting her lip, Katrina jumped at Freya, hugging her fiercely. Freya clenched up the minute Katrina hugged her and didn’t relax until Katrina let go of her.   
“Good luck.” Katrina whispered softly before stepping away.   
Ryan smiled at her, sending her wave. He knew how much Freya hated physical contact, he also wasn’t brave enough to do what Katrina had just done.   
Freya nodded her head and stepped into the fireplace. She took a handful of Floo powder and spoke. “Ministry of Guardians.” She said clearly, throwing the powder onto the ground. Green flames engulfed her and she disappeared.  
Ryan held onto Katrina’s hand tightly. “Please be safe, Freya.” He whispered softly so no one else could hear him.   
McGonagall appeared behind Ryan and placed a hand on his shoulder.   
Opening her eyes, Freya saw she was in the Ministry of Guardians. Keeping her disgust to the place to herself, she stepped out from the fireplace and headed over to the desk. At the desk was a woman – Eva Lamb, who was also known as Lance’s secretary.   
“Freya Williams, I have an appointment.” Freya said when she gets close.   
Eva looked up. She is a young small woman of Asian descent. She has long dark hair with brown eyes. “He’ll be with you in just a moment, Freya.” Eva said with a smile before looking back to her work. She had been Lance’s secretary for years – and like many Guardians she too was sworn to secrecy.   
Freya said nothing as she sat down on one of the chairs. Looking around the room, she saw no one else in the room with her, only Eva and herself. This room brought back memories for Freya, ones that she would rather forget.   
After a few moments, Eva stood up. “He’ll see you now.” Eva said, the robotic smile on her face like always.   
Saying nothing, Freya stood up and walked into the other room, this one being Lance’s office. Opening the door, Freya stepped through to see Lance sitting at his desk, looking through some files. She had no doubt in her mind that he was looking at her file.   
Lance looked up and saw her. “Ah Freya! You’re early like always.” He said, standing up to greet her. He walked over to her and hugged her, much to her chagrin. Lance squeezed her tightly and held her longer than she would have liked at all.   
“My parents have always taught me to be early, never late, sir.” Freya answered back with a blank expression. Showing emotion in front of this man is a deadly game, one that many people have lost and paid with their lives. It did come in handy, Freya had manged to stop herself from tensing and forced herself to relax.   
Lance lets go after lingering for a moment too long. “Yes, Rupert has never been late before, and neither has Vivienne either.” Lance said, he lets go and goes to walk forward. Only, he grabbed Freya by her waist and walked her forward.   
Freya sat down in the seat directly opposite him. Not that he would let her sit anywhere else. He had directed her to that exact seat.  
The smile on Lance’s face immediately disappeared when he sat down. “Now Freya, do you know why I’ve called you here?” He asked, his tone serious.   
Freya nodded her head. “Yes, it’s for the review, sir.” She answered him clearly.   
Lance beamed at her with a smile too large for his face. “Excellent! And do you know why this review has to be done?” He asked, looking at her expectantly.   
“It is because of the disappearance of Caitlin Finnegan, sir.” Freya answered him with a void expression.  
Nodding his head, Lance spoke. “Unfortunately yes. When I set up the Guardians, I had the idea that they would protect their charge. I never could have imagined that one would let their charge die.” Lance sighed in disappointment, as though Kyle had serious inconvenienced him.   
Freya hid the anger that was starting to well up in her. If she said anything it wouldn’t end up going well for her. But she knew not to reaction to anything he was saying. Freya knew that he was saying these things on purpose to see if she reactions. If she did then it wouldn’t end very well for her at all.  
Lance looked at her directly in the eyes. “Freya, you are my best Guardian. You have never once slipped up and you’ve done an excellent job protecting James Sirius Potter. That’s why it pains me to have to do a review on you of all people.” He said with a small pout. This was a side of him people never saw, only Freya ever saw this side and it disgusted her.   
Freya said nothing and just looked at him. Lance wasn’t right, she had slipped up – she wasn’t perfect. In her first year she had no idea what the hell she was doing. It was only because an older Guardian helped her. Victoire’s Guardian had taken her under their wing and really showed her the ropes. That’s why she had felt sympathy for Connor. However, Freya made sure to guard those thoughts.   
Lance stood up and began to pace around the room. “What are your feelings for your charge? James Sirius Potter?” He asked with a serious tone.   
“My feelings are unimportant, all that matters is that James Sirius Potter is safe.” Freya answered him with practiced ease. This was the appropriate response and she has given it every time she was asked this question by anyone. Guardian’s feelings didn’t matter, all that mattered was the charge.   
Lance nodded his head, satisfied. He walked around his desk and sat on it, now only inches away from Freya’s face.   
“Who are you loyal to?” Lance asked, his gaze trained in Freya in the most intense way. However, Freya was used to this. She had spent years with him watching her, but that doesn’t mean she liked it at all.   
Honestly, Freya wasn’t surprised with this question. Lance hated people that weren’t loyal to him. Many of Guardians had died because of this question. This had been the one question Freya knew would be asked. “You and only you.” Freya answered him, knowing full well this was the only answer that he would accept.   
Lance just stared at her, not revealing anything.   
That’s when Freya felt a throbbing sensation in her head, which she recognised immediately. Lance was using Legilimency on her. Freya made sure her shields were up, but not too much to let him notice them. If Lance knew that she could use Occlumency then he would begin to question her. Eventually, the throbbing in her head went away. Smiling, Lance leaned forward and took her hand in his, stroking it with his thumb as if she was the most precious thing.   
“I knew I could trust you, Freya.” He said, tightening his grip on her hand slightly. His other hand reached out and gently stroked her cheek.   
Freya made no outward reaction, but on the inside she was disgusted. All she wanted to do was remove her hand from his and his other hand from her face, she didn’t like to be touched for this very reason. Ever since Freya was very young, Lance would always be a little too close for her liking.   
“That’s why I need you to do something for me.” Lance said, his voice barely above a whisper.   
Freya does nothing, giving nothing away.   
Letting go of her hand, Lance stood up and walked over to sit behind his desk once more. “As you know, I am not allowed to even step one foot in Hogwarts, as Minerva McGonagall won’t let me.” Lance said, a sneer in his face. There was a mocking in his tone when he said her name. Lance disliked McGonagall with a passion, even mentioning her in a conversation could cause him to become angry.   
Saying nothing, Freya waited for him to finish.   
“She has been becoming vocal and has sent in complaints about me and about the whole Guardians organisation. This needs to stop, and that’s why I want you to watch her.” Lance said with a frown on his face.   
Freya felt her heart clench. He wanted her to spy on McGonagall and report her every movement and word to him. There was no way that Freya could do that, not to McGonagall of all people. But Freya knew that he wasn’t going to give her an option, she would have to do this whether she wanted to do or not.   
“Understood.” Freya said, pushing back her emotions.   
Lance nodded his head, happy with her answer. “Everything she does, I want it reported. If she says anything, report it. You will be my eyes and ears at Hogwarts. With your help, I can get rid of McGonagall and replace her with someone more agreeable.” He said, a smirk appearing on his face, revealing his perfectly white teeth.   
Freya could feel the rage building up inside her, but she could do nothing.   
“Remember, you are to say nothing about this to Minerva McGonagall, or anyone.” Lance leaned forward, his chest hitting the side of the desk, a warning in his tone.   
The mark on the back of Freya’s neck tingled. Lance has given his command, and she had to follow it, no matter what. If she even dared tried to disobey him, she would have to deal with the consequences.   
“Understood, sir.” Freya replied back, feeling defeated. However, she did not let this show at all, she couldn’t.   
Lance nodded his head, a happy glint in his eyes. “You may go.” He said, dismissing her with a wave of his hand.   
Saying nothing more, Freya stood up and left the office. As she passed Eva, she saw the robotic smile was on the woman’s face once more. Seeing it made Freya feel sickened as she tried to control her pace to leave the Ministry. She didn’t want to look too eager to leave or it would cause some questions. 

HARRY POTTER 

Freya arrived back in Hogwarts with a heavy heart. She had quickly changed back into her Hogwarts’ robes, which were so much more comfortable than the itchy dress robes she had to wear earlier. She didn’t want to spy on McGonagall, but she knew she had no choice in the matter. She could never refuse Lance, he didn’t like the word, especially when it was used against him. As she walked past the Great Hall, Freya heard someone running up behind her. However, she didn’t turn around and continued to walk on.   
That’s when she felt him, his magic.   
James had a specific magic signature around him. His magic was always fiery and it oozed confidence, which was very noticeable. This is why anyone could notice him in a room, he just demanded everyone’s attention.   
James and Fred ran past her, looking awfully happy with something. As they passed, James eyes met Freya’s.   
Warm hazel clashed with stormy grey.   
However, that moment passed very quickly and James ran on, as though he had never seen her before. The memory charm in her pendant had activated the second his and her eyes met. This was so to not leave any trace of her behind. Freya watched James and began to follow him. Now, she had to focus on being a Guardian and forget about the guilt she was feeling.   
“Hey!”   
Frey didn’t stop even when she heard Ryan shout out for her. It didn’t take long for Ryan to catch up though, as a few seconds later, he was walking by her side, and Katrina on her other.   
“How did it go?” Katrina asked with a kind expression.   
Freya said nothing. Meetings with Lance could usually be repeated, unless he gave a specific intrusion not too, which in this case it couldn’t be repeated. The mark on her neck hummed, sending her a reminder, one that she knew she had to obey.   
Ryan rolled his eyes, “You know she can’t answer you.”   
Katrina pouted and said no more.   
Ryan looked at Freya as they walked. “Is your position safe?” He asked in a hushed tone.   
Freya smirked at his concern. “I’m here, aren’t I?” She said, continuing to walk and follow after James. If she had lost her position, she wouldn’t have been allowed back at Hogwarts, she would have been killed in Lance’s office there and then.   
Katrina sighed in relief. “Thank goodness. Since you’ve been gone Castiel’s been acting like he’s in charge.”  
Arching a brow, Freya didn’t look surprised. “Oh has he?”   
Nodding her head, Katrina pouted more. “Yeah, he’s been ordering us about! It’s horrible!” She whined, messing with the sleeve of her robes.   
“Keep an eye on him, he needs to be watched. I’ve already noticed that some of the Guardians are hanging around him more. He’s building up followers.” Freya mentioned to them both, while also keeping an eye out for James who was a hundred feet away with Fred. She could see Cordelia not too far away, looking tired and nervous.   
Freya sighed lightly. Knowing Castiel, he would have been hoping she wouldn’t come back. He’s been eyeing her position for the past two years and he wasn’t giving up anytime soon either. Honestly, it was starting to become a match between the two of them of who could outdo each other. Castiel was a good Wizard, but Freya’s magic was stronger, far stronger and he was jealous of that fact. It also didn’t help that Freya had Lance’s attention – not that she wanted it – but Castiel and his family had been trying to get on Lance’s good side for years and weren’t winning him over. Quite frankly, Castiel just barely made it when becoming a Guardian, it was shocking to see him still here.   
HARRY POTTER   
Two days later   
Monday had now arrived and Freya sat in Potions. Like always she was in the same class as James, making sure he didn’t fail. It wasn’t very often that Freya had to intervene in lessons, only the ones he wasn’t very good in. James wasn’t very good at potions, but Freya always made sure his work didn’t go atrociously wrong.   
Professor Sheldrake cleared her throat. “Now class, today we’re going to be preparing the Draught of Living Death. Turn your pages to 167 and begin.” She said with a kind expression. Professor Sheldrake was a short half-blood with short brown hair and blue eyes. She was a kind woman who excelled at potions. Hogwarts had a hard time holding down Potion teachers since Snape’s death, but that was mainly due to James and Fred’s extreme pranks. However, she had lasted the longest out of all of them.   
Sitting next to Cordelia, Freya watched as James began his potion while also preparing hers. Freya watched as James added in his powdered root of asphodel but he didn’t infuse it with a pinch of wormwood.   
Cordelia sighed quietly. “I wish we didn’t have to hold back.” She mumbled under her breathe.   
Freya smirked slightly. “If only.”  
Cordelia was amazing at potions, better than anyone in the castle. She had compared it to cooking, which she also liked to do. But being a Guardian, they had to hold back. It was actually a lot of effort for Cordelia and Freya in particular. Freya was amazing at DADA but she could never show off her dueling abilities.   
Standing up from her seat, Freya went and got more wormwood from the front of the classroom. As she walked back to her seat, she dropped from wormwood in James’ cauldron stealthily before sitting back down in her seat.   
While Freya had done that, Cordelia had done the same but with Fred. He too had forgotten the wormwood in his potion because he was goofing off with James.   
James was laughing with Fred, shoving each other when he suddenly looked at his potion. It was now a different colour than it was a moment ago. With furrowed brows, he stirred his potion and found it to be exactly how it should be. It now had the consistency of water, which was what it was meant to be.   
“Now for the results!” Professor Sheldrake announced as she summoned a bunch of fresh leaves with her wand. First up was James and Fred, who was sitting on the front row. Professor Sheldrake placed a leaf in their potions, only for them to disintegrate immediately.   
“James! Fred! How marvelous for you to get this potions right on your first try. Twenty points to Gryffindor each!” Professor Sheldrake said with a large smile on her face.   
James and Fred smiled widely and high fived each other.   
“Mate, what did you do to make yours work?” Fred asked, looking at James with a curious expression.   
James shrugged. “I haven’t a clue.” He says looking around them room.   
Freya smirked and waited for Professor Sheldrake to come over to her. As always, Freya managed to score average. Never making her potion perfect, but also making sure it wasn’t completely wrong either. 

HARRY POTTER 

Later that same day 

Freya and the rest of her class stood outside, near Hagrid’s home, this class was the last one of the day. Now, they were in Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid as their teacher. After the war, McGonagall had given back Hagrid his position as a teacher, which was well deserved.   
Hagrid clapped his hands, getting everyone’s attention. “Right, I hope yeh’re all as excited as I em!” He said, looking around with glee in his eyes.   
Instantly, Freya felt uneasy. Hagrid had a tendency to take a liking to creatures that could be classed as ‘dangerous’.   
“What is it today Hagrid?” James asked, looking just as excited. He had a large grin on his face and his feet couldn’t stay still, he was practically bouncing off them.   
“Is it a dragon?!” Fred yelled out, a large grin on his face.   
The horror in Cordelia’s eyes made Freya smirk. Cordelia closed her eyes and began silently praying that Dragons were not on today’s lesson plan.   
Hagrid shook his head. “’Fraid not boys.”   
Cordelia sighed in relief, instantly relaxing.   
“Today, we have a Hippogriff. Now, I have permission from the Ministry of Magic this time.” Hagrid laughed to himself, looking rather proud of himself. Last time, he hadn’t exactly got permission but now he did.   
Hagrid turned around and began calling the Hippogriff. Hippogriffs have the bodies, hind legs, and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings, and heads of giant eagles, with cruel, steel-coloured beaks and large, brilliantly orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly-looking. Its fur was a brilliant stormy grey colour.   
Hagrid threw a ferret at the Hippogriff, coaxing her into coming forward.   
Freya’s eye twitched. Hippogriffs could be just as dangerous. She was well informed of how dangerous they could be after reading the report about Draco Malfoy being attacked by one in his third year. However, it had been noted that Malfoy had disrespected the beast.   
Hagrid looked at his class. “Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is, they're proud. Easily offended, hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, 'cause it might be the last thing yeh do. Yeh always wait fer the hippogriff ter make the firs' move. It's polite, see? Yeh walk towards her, and yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If she bows back, yeh're allowed to touch her. If she doesn' bow, then get away from her sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt.” He said, throwing another ferret in the Hippogriff’s direction.  
“Now, who wants to be the firs’ to greet her?” Hagrid asked, looking around for a volunteer. He wasn’t allowed to let anyone ride the beast like he had with Buckbeak and Harry. He was pushing his luck by asking to let a Hippogriff into his lesson as it was.   
Instantly, James and Fred went to raise their hands.   
However, Freya wasn’t having any of that. Since she was standing at the back of the crowd, she took out her wand and cast a spell to make someone move forward. Freya picked randomly and cast her silent spell.   
Her victim jumped forward, a sixth year Gryffindor.   
“Ah Ruben,” Hagrid pointed out, happy to have someone volunteer. The worst thing to happen would be if no one wanted to volunteer.   
James frowned, looking very unhappy that he wasn’t picked.   
Ruben looked confused, but he walked forward nonetheless. He stopped when he was a few feet away from the beast, looking extremely nervous. His eyes were darting all over the place, never once looking at the creature.   
“Now, yeh need ter bow ter her.” Hagrid told him gently, not wanting to startle the Hippogriff.   
Ruben bowed low, closing his eyes.   
The Hippogriff looked at the child and tilted her head. The beast walked forward slightly and just stared at him. However, the beast never once bowed. She made a screeching sound and moved away from Ruben.   
Hagrid looked a little disappointed. He had wanted the beast to let his students touch her head. But she didn’t seem to be in the mood. But, he knew he couldn’t push it and put his students at risk of getting hurt.  
Slowly, Ruben backed off into the crowd.   
He threw another ferret at the Hippogriff’s way. “Next?” Hagrid asked, looking for another volunteer.   
James and Fred went to both put their hands up, but Freya was already one step ahead of them. She had chosen her next victim. This time, the victim was Claire, a Hufflepuff.   
“Come on up Claire.” Hagrid said with a smile at the enthusiasm of his students.   
Again, James and Fred looked unhappy on losing out. James looked around his class, as though he was looking for something, but he never found it.   
Freya smirked, happy with her work. There was something about riling up James that gave her some satisfaction.   
This continued on for the hour. James and Fred would attempt to be the next volunteer, but they were always beaten by someone else. It would also seem as though the Hippogriff had refused to let anyone touch her. By near the end of the lesson, nearly everyone had ‘volunteered’ to greet the Hippogriff. All except James, Freya, Fred and Cordelia. However, this meant that Freya had run out of victims to use.   
“Las’ one then.” Hagrid said, looking at them all.   
James’ eyes lit up and his hand was about to shoot up. He had been waiting the entire lesson, wanting to get the Hippogriff to bow to him. His father had told him all about his adventures with Buckbeak. But someone beat him to the punch again  
“I’ll do it.” Freya said walking forward.   
Cordelia looked at Freya with wide eyes. They weren’t meant to participate in lessons at all, and they weren’t meant to be noticed.   
Hagrid beamed at this.   
James frowned and grumbled under his breath, unhappy at not being picked. Fred puts a hand on his shoulder, also looking miffed at not being picked.   
Freya walked forward and stopped a few feet away from the beast. Freya stared at the Hippogriff with a steady gaze before bowing lowly to her, making sure to maintain eye contact. Freya was making sure to do what everyone else had failed at. It was seen as disrespectful to not maintain eye contact with the creature, something that no one else seemed to understand. Everyone else was too nervous and would look away or at the ground.  
Freya watched at the Hippogriff stared at her, tilting her head. Slowly, the Hippogriff began walking closer to her and then stopped when it was inches away from her. The beast was closer to her, she hadn’t got this close to any other student that had greeted her.   
Gasps could be heard from the people behind her.   
“Stay very still, urm…” Hagrid said, sounding confused and alarmed. He couldn’t seem to remember her name. She had been in his class since first year, that he knew but he just couldn’t remember her name or anything about her.   
Freya watched as the Hippogriff stretched her neck and watched as it leaned in closer to her. Freya felt movement above her and a prick on her neck. Instantly, she tensed. The Hippogriff had just touched her Guardian mark that was on the back of her neck with its beak. It seemed to make a growling sound and then it backed off after a few moments.   
The Hippogriff backed away and bowed its head.   
“Lift yer head, slowly.” Hagrid said softly.   
Freya lifted her head, still maintaining eye contact. Freya had tried not to blink but found it hard not to. She remembered in the books that she wasn’t meant to blink at all, but she couldn’t help it. The Hippogriff lifted her head and tilted it, screeching slightly.   
“I think she wan’ yeh ter touch her ‘ead.” Hagrid said, sounding rather pleased. He had been waiting for this reaction the entire lesson.   
Lifting her hand up slowly, Freya allowed the Hippogriff to smell her hand, getting her scent. The Hippogriff let out another screech and moved her head to the side, inviting Freya to touch her head. Freya slowly touched the beast gently, careful to not make any sudden or harsh movements. If the Hippogriff were to attack now, she would be too close to defend herself.   
Freya smirked slightly, the Hippogriff’s feathers felt soft to the touch.   
“That’s enough fer today.” Hagrid announced, before moving to take the Hippogriff away. Leading her away by throwing her dead ferret.   
Freya stepped back and let Hagrid do his job, going back into the crowd. As she passed James, Freya looked at him to find him staring at her. But she wasn’t worried, she knew the memory charm would kick in very soon, along with the rest of the class.   
As Freya stood next to Cordelia, she was met with wide eyes and a mouth open ajar.   
“You’ll catch flies like that.” Freya responded dryly.   
Cordelia closed her mouth instantly. “B-but.”  
Freya looked at James once more and found him walking off, much like the rest of the class. “I did it to protect him and nothing more.” She said before walking away. 

HARRY POTTER 

Later that same day   
It was now night time and Freya sat in her dorm room. She was in her canopy bed with the curtains draw. She also had a silencing charm and a shield charm around her bed. This wasn’t because her roommates didn’t like her but it was just for protection. Her roommates didn’t even acknowledge her presence, the only once that did was Cordelia. This way, no one could hear what she was saying or surprise her. Freya sat in her bed, looking at a mirror in her lap. The heavy feeling in her chest was back once more. This wasn’t a normal mirror, but a special one. She had received this as a present from Lance four years ago and it was something Freya never thought she was use. Lance would usually shower her in gifts, but she never used them. This mirror came with another mirror that Freya had sneakily placed in McGonagall’s office to spy on her.   
Using her wand, Freya tapped on the mirror twice and watched. This mirror had recorded everything McGonagall had done throughout the day. Every night since being given the order, Freya would watch what she would do and report it to Lance.   
However, there was nothing to report.   
McGonagall just mainly did reports and signing papers. They weren’t even related to anything to do with the Guardians. Freya had also been checking McGonagall’s post before it left. Freya’s bird would always intercept it and bring it to her. But there was nothing suspicious or that could be used against her.   
Freya didn’t like doing this. She felt like she was betraying McGonagall, but she didn’t have a choice.   
Lance couldn’t be disobeyed.   
“I’m so sorry.” Freya mumbled softly.


	6. Chapter 6

Four days later 

It had now been a week since Durmstrang and Beauxbatons had arrived at Hogwarts. Now, everyone sat in the Great Hall eating their hearts out at dinner time. The Durmstrang seemed to eat quite a bit, but the Beauxbatons seemed to be a bit more reserved about the food. Freya had already heard some of the girls complaining about the food. However, at the moment every Guardian seemed to be tense. That was because of the results of who the Champions and Shields for the schools would be revealed tonight.   
Freya had been vigilant and made sure that James’ name hadn’t been put into the flames. But her job seemed to have been made easy since James didn’t seem interested in entering at all. Someone in Gryffindor had made a joke about James entering to follow in the footsteps of his father. James didn’t find it very funny and neither did Freya. In fact, none of the Potter-Weasley family seemed interested, which was a relief.   
Freya knew it was time, they were going to be announcing the contestants for the Triwizard Tournament. Freya looked over to the Durmstrang boys who were sitting with the Hufflepuff’s – which was an amusing sight to behold. The males from Durmstrang were big, bulky and intimidating while the Hufflepuffs were half the size of them. The Hufflepuff’s looked extremely nervous around them. However, there were some Hufflepuffs that managed to make conversation with the huge brutes, which again wasn’t very suspiring. Beauxbatons, however, were sitting with the Gryffindor’s, and to say most of the male population was happy with this was an understatement. Freya watched as James made his move on multiple Beauxbatons girls; who looked all too happy to receive attention from James.   
Freya rolled her eyes as she watched James whisper into a girl’s ear.   
Quickly, Freya looks at the girl James was giving his attention to. She was tall, maybe one or two inches taller than James. She was pretty and looked slim, she has blonde hair and brown eyes. She seemed bashful though, and so unlike the usual girls, James goes for.   
Freya knew exactly what type of girl James goes for. She’s been watching him for five years now. She knew James like the back of her hand, not by choice though. James tended to go for girls that were small, confident and sexy. Freya had never seen him go for the bashful type. Freya smirked to herself, that girl doesn’t know what she’s getting herself into. James was one of the biggest players in Hogwarts, with Fred right behind him. It wasn’t unusual to find them with different girls every week or so.   
McGonagall stood up once all the food disappeared. This gained McGonagall everyone’s attention instantly and all the chatter evaporated. She walked around and stood next to the Goblet of Fire. McGonagall cleared her throat. “The time to choose our Champions and Shields has arrived.” She said, trying to sound enthusiastic, but to Freya, it sounded forced.   
However, Durmstrang applauded, not taking any notice of the sombre mood in the Hall. The Beauxbatons’ seemed reserved and delicately clapped their hands together. The Hogwarts students also seemed a bit more reserved, particularly the Potter-Weasley family.   
Headmistress McGonagall sent them all a look but said nothing on the matter.   
“If your name is called, please come up to the stage,” McGonagall said as she watched the Goblet intensely, waiting for it to change colour.   
A moment passed and the flames of the cup changed colour. They changed from a white-blue colour to red and sparks began to fly from it. Suddenly, a small ball of fire burst from the Goblet. The flame grew smaller and when McGonagall grabbed it, the fire had completely extinguished. In McGonagall’s hand was a piece of parchment, which was charred by the fire.  
Freya took a deep breath. She knew that James was safe, she had made sure of that. But there was always that chance she could have missed something. If James did end up being picked, she would have to become his Shield. Freya had learned a lesson from an older Guardian and it was to always come up with back up plans. In this business, it will be more than likely that things will not go as planned. Freya had listened to that advice and had taken it to heart. Looking around the room, Freya could see that all other Guardians were holding their breath also.   
McGonagall looked down at the parchment with a blank expression. “The Champion from Durmstrang is Roman Petrov!” McGonagall announced strongly and loudly.   
Durmstrang cheered loudly as Roman stood up, a proud and smug look on his face. He was being petted and hugged by his fellow classmates, all proud of him for being picked. He swaggered his way over to the stage and stood in front of everyone smirking.  
Freya rolled her eyes, he seemed to have more confidence than James. This only seemed to annoy her further.   
Vladimir clapped slowly, a proud and smug expression on his face.   
“And now, who will volunteer from Durmstrang to be his Shield?” McGonagall asked, looking at the Durmstrang who had quietened down as she spoke.   
A few seconds of whispering later, a single hand raised itself. “I will.” Said the booming voice of Ivan Krum as he stood so everyone could see him. It would be hard to miss him though, he was built like a bull.   
Ivan went up to stand by Roman, both of them exchanging proud looks to one another. However, Ivan seemed more laid back and quiet. Vladimir stood up and walked out of the hall and into a side room for the Hall, with Roman and Ivan right behind him.   
The flame changed to red once more, and a piece of parchment spat out and landed in McGonagall’s hand. She looked at it briefly before announcing it to everyone. “Beauxbatons’ Champion is Alicia Laurent!”  
Alicia stood up, a happy look on her face. She was hugged by many of her fellow classmates, all happy to see her enter. Alicia gracefully made her way up to the stage, she looked around the room with confidence and winked at a few boys, making the swoon and chant her name.   
Freya sighed silently and looked in James direction.   
James was staring at Alicia with wide eyes.   
Freya sneered, not surprised in the slightest. Alicia was definitely his type, and apparently, James was everybody’s type, considering on how many girls he’s been with.  
Renée smiled at the choice as she delicately clapped her hands.   
“And her Shield?” McGonagall asked, shooting the males in the room scolding looks. However, she was sending withering looks to the males of Hogwarts, expecting them to act with more decorum.   
It was silent for a moment as people began looking at one another. “I will.” A male voice said from the Beauxbatons side. The male looked delicate and resembled Alicia very closely, however, didn’t look as confident as Alicia. Looking back and forth between the two, Freya quickly realised that they were both siblings.   
Renée gracefully stood up and walked to her students, a wide and beautiful smile on her face. Looking happy, she guided Alicia and her brother into the side room where Durmstrang’s Champion and Shield were.   
The flame changed red for the last time as parchment was spat out of the fire and into McGonagall’s hand. She looked at the paper briefly, and her face paled considerably.  
Freya felt her insides turn to ice.   
It couldn’t be James, could it?  
When McGonagall didn’t read the name straight away, whispers began breaking out. Why wasn’t she saying anything?   
Finally, McGonagall looked up and said. “Albus Potter.” The shock in her voice rang out loudly and seemed to echo against Hall’s stone walls.   
The Hall went silent, no one in Hogwarts was cheering and quite frankly, everyone looked shocked. To enter the tournament, you had to be seventeen years old with how dangerous it is, and Albus was only fourteen years old. However, just like his father, Albus Severus Potter had managed to get past that.   
Slowly, Albus made his way onto the stage, looking at his family with fear in his eyes. McGonagall sent him a sympathetic look.   
“Now for his Shield,” McGonagall said, looking to Albus’ Guardian and sending her a sharp look.   
Freya immediately looked for Rebecca Singleton, she was Albus’ Guardian. She had to volunteer, it was her duty to. Freya found her and saw Rebecca with her mouth wide open and her eyes wide in shock. She hadn’t moved an inch and it didn’t look like she was going to volunteer anytime soon. Freya sighed and shook her head, she wasn’t going to get off with this lightly if someone else volunteered to protect Albus. Rebecca would be punished severely if word got to Lance. Word would get out as well, even if Freya didn’t say anything.   
Freya spared a glance at James and her heart nearly stopped beating when she did.   
James was about to raise his hand and volunteer.   
Freya mentally cursed James, what was that idiot doing? He couldn’t volunteer, if he did then she would get in so much trouble and so would Rebecca. Freya quickly looked to Rebecca again, and she still hadn’t moved, she wasn’t going to volunteer.   
James raised his hand and was about to stand up.   
Freya’s eyes widened as she jumped up. “I volunteer!” Freya shouted out before she even realised what had done. That’s when she felt everyone’s gaze on her. Freya looked around and saw people staring at her in confusion. Cordelia looked ready to scream. Katrina gasped loudly and Ryan nearly fell off his chair.   
It took a moment for her to realise what she had done. For a moment, she panicked. But she hid that. Holding herself high, Freya made her way over to the front, standing next to Albus. Albus looked at her, confusion written on his face. He didn’t recognise her at all. However, Freya didn’t look at him and turned her head away from him.   
Taking a chance, Freya looked at James. He was looking directly at her, confusion also was written all over his face.   
“That is all, return to your dorms,” McGonagall ordered sternly before motioning for the Albus and Freya to follow after her. McGonagall seemed tense and she slightly biting her bottom lip, something McGonagall didn’t do often.   
They walk into a room nearby, one that Freya hadn’t been in before. It looked like a private office with a desk and lined with books. They looked like old books that had been used a lot. There were also vials of potions lined up on the wall.   
Alicia looks at Freya and Albus. “What are you doing here?” She asked, a slight sneer in her tone. Her French accent was very faint and not very strong.   
Alicia’s brother, Isaak, looked at her with exasperation. He shook his head and sent apologetic looks to Albus and Freya.   
McGonagall sighed. “They are Hogwarts’ Champion and Shield.” She admitted, but she didn’t sound very happy with it.   
There was a moment of silence, they were all processing this information. Freya was watching their reactions, particularly the Durmstrang’s reactions. Roman looked ready to kill, while Ivan looked slightly shocked. He didn’t seem to make a big deal of it. He more than likely heard stories from his father – Viktor Krum – about his experience in the tournament.   
“Is this some sort of joke?!” Vladimir shouted out, his Russian accent was very profound and angry. His loud voice seemed to echo harshly against the stone walls. It almost made Freya want to cover her ears at how loud it was.   
His tone did make Albus flinch. Albus seemed to cower away from Vladimir and he began looking for an escape route.   
Freya reached for her wand, just in case. It not have been her duty to protect Albus, but she would make an exception. Freya didn’t like Vladimir’s tone either and she certainly didn’t trust him or his students.   
McGonagall sent Vladimir a glare, not liking his tone one little bit either. “I assure you, this is no joke.” She said, holding her head up high, looking down at him.   
“Well, what do you expect us to think? This is the second time an underage student has been placed in this tournament.” Renée commented with a scornful expression on her beautiful face.   
Alicia nodded her head, agreeing with her headmistress.   
“Why don’t we ask him?” Isaak suggested, sending his sister an annoyed look. His French accent also seemed to be very faint.   
McGonagall nodded her head and turned to Albus. “Did you put your name in the Goblet?” She asked calmly, looking directly at the young Potter. She sent him an expecting look, already knowing the answer. Albus was a sensible boy and wouldn’t have done something so stupid.   
Albus shook his head. “I didn’t.” There seemed to be a look of desperation in his eyes, he wanted McGonagall to believe him. He genuinely hadn’t placed his name in the Goblet of Fire, he had heard enough stories from his father to make him want to run for his life.   
“Lies!” Vladimir shouted out in anger.   
“How dare you mock us?” Renée sneered back, her hand itching for her wand.   
Freya stayed quiet and watched everything happen in silence.   
“Regardless of this, Albus has no choice but to participate. By his name being chosen, he is now contracted to this tournament.” McGonagall said with a sigh in her tone. It was just like having Harry Potter back in Hogwarts once more. It seemed trouble would always follow the Potter family.   
Alicia looked over at Freya. “And what of her?” She asked with a slight sneer in her tone. Even with such an ugly expression, her beauty really shined through.   
Freya looked at Alicia directly in the eyes. “There are no age restrictions for the Shield.” Freya simply said with a blank expression. She could fully understand Vladimir and Renée’s anger. By her and Albus being in the tournament, it was looking down on both schools. It was almost saying that a fourth year and sixth year could beat the seventh years. It was like laughing in their faces. But that anger made them dangerous.   
McGonagall nodded her head. “Exactly. If you have an issue with this, I suggest you take it up with Lance Johnson. He is the one who designed this tournament.” She said a look of hidden disgust in her eyes.   
Freya tensed, she did not know this.   
Renée and Vladimir nodded their heads but said nothing more. They stormed out of the room with their students following behind them. As they left, Roman glared at Freya and Albus, but it was mainly directed to Albus more than anyone.   
Albus seemed shaken by his glare, but Freya remained emotionless.   
Sighing, McGonagall looked to them. “Now, off to bed.” She said, but she looked at Albus and not Freya when she did.   
Albus wordlessly nodded his head and quickly left.   
Once alone, McGonagall placed a silencing charm around the room. “What happened?” She asked the moment it was safe too.  
“James was about to volunteer,” Freya said dryly, looking annoyed. She hadn’t expected this at all. Out of all the possible scenarios she had invented in her head, this wasn’t one of them. She had thought if James was safe then so was she, but it looked like she was wrong. She had volunteered without thinking because she knew that if James entered, she would face serious consequences. Letting her charge participate in the Triwizard Tournament would have basically been a death sentence for her.   
McGonagall frowned, but she seemed understanding.   
“I take it you didn’t know that Lance was in charge of this tournament?” McGonagall asked, arching a brow at the younger Gryffindor.   
Freya shook her head. “I was never informed.” There was bitterness in her tone. Freya didn’t like being surprised very much. She liked to know what was going on at all times and to be in control. The only surprise that Freya ever had were not good ones.   
McGonagall thinned her lips. “Neither was I until recently. Apparently, Mister Shacklebolt took a lot of convincing to let him through.”  
Freya frowned. For Lance to have convinced Shacklebolt, that would have meant Lance was desperate to be in charge of this. Usually, Lance didn’t take up extra jobs in the Ministry because he was happy running the Ministry of Guardians. But something must have changed. He had never mentioned anything in the review either. As much as Freya would hate to admit it, sometimes it was useful having Lance so close to her family because he would always tell her about any changes. Freya was usually one of the first to find out anything.   
“Miss Williams, may I please see your pendant for a moment?” McGonagall asked.   
Without saying anything, Freya pulled out her pendant so McGonagall could see it. However, she made no move to remove it from her being. Guardians weren’t allowed to take their pendant off at all and if any Guardian did then there would be serious consequences. With the pendant visible, McGonagall took out her wand. Under her breath, she muttered a spell. The tip of McGonagall’s wand lit up and the light engulfed the pendant before it disappeared entirely.   
“I’ve added a healing charm to the pendant. This should provide you with protection in the Tournament.” McGonagall said before putting away her wand.   
Freya nodded her head and hid the pendant back under her robes.   
“Now, off to bed with you,” McGonagall instructed, waving her off. As she left, she took down the silencing charm around the room.  
Freya wordlessly left the room.   
She began her walk back to Gryffindor common room, but she soon did a U-turn and began heading down to the dungeons, where the Slytherin Common room was. As she walked, Freya could feel the anger bubble up inside her. It didn’t take Freya long to reach the Slytherin common room. But she stayed outside and sent a magical note inside, addressed to Rebecca.   
Within moments, Rebecca stepped out of the common room with an uneasy expression.   
“Follow me,” Freya ordered sharply before turning around. She began walking down the corridor until she came across an empty classroom. The air was awkward and tense. Rebecca didn’t dare say anything and just looked at the ground with her head bowed. For some reason, this only annoyed Freya even more.   
Once inside, Freya took out her wand and placed a locking and silencing charm on the room. Turning around, Freya glared at Rebecca with her icy eyes.   
Instantly, Rebecca broke.   
“I am so sorry!” Rebecca cried out, and her body began to shake. She held her hands together as though she was praying. “I just froze-!”  
However, she didn’t get to finish. “I don’t care.” Freya hissed lowly, making Rebecca freeze.   
Rebecca’s eyes widened as she stuttered, “B-but-”  
“I said I don’t care!” Freya yelled out, her magic reacting strongly to her anger. The atmosphere began to feel tenser, and Rebecca almost found it hard to breathe. But she didn’t know if that was because of how scared she was or Freya’s magic.   
Freya took a step forward, backing Rebecca into a wall. “You have been Albus’ third Guardian and the longest one at that. I thought you would have done better but obviously, I was wrong.” She sneered at the end, her magic swirling around dangerously.   
Rebecca shakily nodded her head. “I-I am I swear!”   
Scoffing, Freya answered back. “Yet you froze when Albus needed you the most. Now you’ve put me in a bad position because you didn’t do your job.” She had now been entered into the Triwizard Tournament because Rebecca didn’t react quickly enough. Freya had thought she would have been safe by making sure James didn’t get entered into the Tournament.   
Rebecca fell to the ground, her legs had given out from nerves. “Please, please don’t tell Lance.” She begged, holding her hands up. Desperation shinned in her eyes and tears began falling from her eyes. She was scared and terrified. No Guardian ever wanted to be reported to Lance due to the consequences.   
“Give me one good reason.” Freya hissed lowly as she glared dangerously. Her eyes almost looked like they were glowing in the dark room. Her magic swirled around once more, crackling dangerously. The papers on the desk of the classroom began to fly around and the tables began to shake slightly.   
Rebecca fell silent. She knew she couldn’t answer that. It was a Guardian’s duty to report anyone shirking their duties and that’s exactly what Rebecca did. She didn’t fulfil her role, she had let someone else do it. Rebecca had thought her position was safe, she had already had her review with Lance Johnson, but she knew she wouldn’t be safe after this.   
“My family will be disgraced and they’ll hate me,” Rebecca whispered softly, tears running thickly down her face.   
Freya stopped for a moment and frowned. “Oh, that’s not all that will happen.” She said, her tone edging onto a hiss. But she was calm, she no longer felt angry anymore. Her magic had now calmed down and was no longer making the air tense.   
Rebecca looked at Freya, still crying and holding back a sob in her throat.   
Freya moved her face closer to Rebecca’s. “If you think that’s all that will happen when you’re a fool. You’ll more than likely be punished severely by Lance, and I mean severely.” Freya didn’t actually say what would happen, but she let it hang in the air.   
If Lance found out, Rebecca would die.   
Rebecca’s eyes widened in realisation as the sob left her throat and racked her body.   
“No one leaves the role of a Guardian alive,” Freya whispered softly. This was a hidden clause within the group. This little fact was never made known to Kingsley Shacklebolt or to anyone. Only Lance and the actual Guardians knew about this. The worse part was that they couldn’t even tell anyone. If they did, they would face pain worse than the Crucio Curse.   
Sobbing heavily, Rebecca fell to the ground and began to cry louder.   
Freya sneered at her, finding the display of emotion disgusting. She didn’t deal well with people that were crying, that was usually Katrina’s job. Katrina always knew how to comfort someone, but Freya had no idea.   
For a while, Freya stood there and watched Rebecca.   
At that moment, Freya’s thoughts began to drift. For a moment, Freya thought of Kyle – someone she hadn’t thought of in a while. Kyle had made a mistake by leaving Caitlin Finnegan alone while he continued with his Guardian Training during the summer. This wouldn’t have been bad, but then the Finnegan household had been attacked and she went missing. It was a mistake. No one could have guessed that the Finnegan Household would have been attacked. It was completely unpredictable and out of the blue. There was no warning and no signs that the Death Eaters were building up for an attack.   
As a result, Kyle was killed for ‘negligence’. The very thought of it made Freya angry.   
Freya knew that she should report Rebecca, but she knew that if she did then she would be responsible for Rebecca’s death. But, if she didn’t report Rebecca then she would get in serious trouble if found out.   
“Have you had your review?” Freya asked in a calm tone. Her magic had slowly calmed down, making the air less tense.   
Rebecca nodded her head while still sobbing heavily. Her body was heavily shaking and her hands were covering her face.   
“How is your Occlumency?” Freya asked.   
Rebecca looked up, her eyes red and puffy with some snot running down her nose. “W-why d-do yo-you ca-care?” She asked, having to take deep gulps of breath.   
Taking a deep breath, Freya frowned. “I won’t say anything.”   
Rebecca’s jaw dropped slightly in disbelief. “W-what?” She asked, her voice cracking and sounding breathless.   
Freya crossed her arms over her chest. “Just make sure this doesn’t happen again-”  
She never got to finish properly. Rebecca had jumped up and hugged the older girl. Immediately, Freya tensed and gently pushed Rebecca off her. But the other girl didn’t seem to care, the happiness in her eyes and the massive smile on her face made Freya not say anything. It almost made Freya smile.   
“Thank you!” Rebecca exclaimed, wiping the snot from her nose with her sleeve.   
Freya sneered, looking slightly disgusted.   
“I swear you won’t regret this!” Rebecca said, practically bouncing on the spot. She was certain that she going to die. She was certain that Freya would tell Lance and that would be it. Rebecca had always thought Freya to be an ice queen, but maybe Rebecca had judged too quickly.   
Freya looked at her. “No one can know about this. You need to work on your Occlumency skills.”  
Rebecca nodded her head frantically, “I will! I will! I won’t let you down.”   
Freya looked directly into her eyes. “Make sure you don’t.” With that, Freya turned around and undoes the charms she placed around the room before leaving. 

HARRY POTTER 

Later that night 

James lay in his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He had left his curtains open and a nearby window open to let some air in. James was always a naturally warm person so he usually slept shirtless and he would more than often push his covers off. Turning his head, he saw all the people in his dorm were asleep. Fred was basically hanging out of the bed and nearly on the floor. He was always a restless sleeper and tended to move around a lot.   
However, James felt very confused. For years, he had felt like someone was always there in the background. James wasn’t an idiot. He had noticed the fact his school work would always end up getting better grades than it deserved. He hadn’t noticed at first, but then he accidentally found out. He had seriously messed up in a test in Herbology and James knew he would have failed. But somehow he passed. Professor Longbottom could be a harsh maker at times. So, James began to test out this theory by doing terrible in some lessons, like potions. He knew that he didn’t add wormwood into his potion that day, but somehow it ended up in there. James then started to get into trouble on purpose. He aggravated people on purpose, started fights on purpose and somehow James always never got hurt. James would make an enemy one day and then the next the person wouldn’t even look at him.   
Someone was protecting him, and he didn’t know who. James had tried finding them, but he never could.   
Every night, he would have these dreams of stormy grey eyes. James didn’t know why, but he had a feeling that those eyes belonged to the person who was protecting him. James had tried searching for those eyes for two years and it was still a mystery to him.   
He wanted to find this person and know why they were protecting him.   
James had asked around, but no one seemed to know anyone with stormy grey eyes, so he gave up on asking people. He also couldn’t find anyone in this school with those eyes either. It was almost like he had been making it up.   
James’ thoughts then strayed to earlier that night. He was going to volunteer to be his brother’s Shield. There was no way he was letting his younger brother go in alone. The Triwizard Tournament was dangerous, their father had told them that much. As soon as James found out what was happening, he sent an owl to his father immediately. To say his father wasn’t happy was an understatement.   
James shuddered to think what his mother’s reaction would be when finding out that Albus would be participating.   
But that girl who volunteered to help Albus. He could see her, but her face was shrouded in mist, but he doesn’t recall ever seeing her before.   
Was she a new student?  
Shaking his head, James dismissed that thought. Hogwarts didn’t get new students so late in the year. That girl had to be at least sixth or seventh year. But James had never seen her before.   
Had he?


	7. Chapter 7

Early the next morning 

Freya had called an emergency Guardian meeting. She knew that things needed to be explained otherwise it may get out of hand. It was only just around sunset when every Guardian was gathered in the Chamber of Secrets, including Noah. The older students looked awake and alert, while the younger ones looked tired. The older Guardians were awake due to the fact most of them had to get up early every day because their charges had early Quidditch practice. However, since the other schools had arrived their Quidditch practice had decreased to almost none.   
Clearing her throat, Freya began. “As you all know, Albus Potter has been entered into the Triwizard Tournament.” As soon as she mentioned this, a few Guardians perked up and looks of curiosity appeared on their faces.   
Castiel immediately spoke up. “But why isn’t Rebecca entering too, it’s her charge.” He crossed his arms, looking slightly smug. He was sending an accusing look to Rebecca and some Guardians followed his example.   
Rebecca looked to the ground, not able to meet other’s eyes.   
Freya rolled her eyes. “There was a conflict of interest. Rebecca was, in fact, going to enter, but I then saw James about to enter. If I hadn’t of stepped in, James would have been Albus’ Shield.” It was very well known that James had excellent reflexes, that’s why he was perfect being a Keeper in Quidditch. If Freya hadn’t of been there, James would have entered the Tournament. Rebecca didn’t stand a chance.   
Rebecca looked up and sent a grateful look at Freya.   
Frowning, Castiel grumbled lowly.   
“However, that doesn’t clear the issue about Albus’ name being put into the Goblet of Fire,” Freya said, getting back to the point.   
“I have been reading the minds of every fourth year, none of them would have done it,” Rebecca spoke out but looked to the ground when people looked at her. Ryan and Joseph both nodded their heads, agreeing with her. They too had been reading the minds of the fourth years and had come across nothing.   
Freya nodded her head, “None of the sixth years did either. But only a seventh year could have done it.” There were Guardians in nearly every year, only first and seventh years weren’t covered. If anyone in the others years even thought about it, it would have been picked up.   
Katrina also nodded her head. “McGonagall placed that age line herself, there is no way that someone younger got past it.” Everyone knew that the age line would be impenetrable, that’s why no one below the seventh year had even attempted to enter it. McGonagall had used the same age line spell that Dumbledore had helped to improve, clearing any doubt that a younger year could have placed Albus’ name in the Goblet.   
Joseph raised his hand. “I’ve seen Eric hanging around some seventh years, maybe he could have gotten someone to do it.”  
This grabbed Freya’s attention immediately.   
“We need to interrogate him,” Castiel said immediately, looking at Freya.   
Freya glared at him.   
Cordelia rolled her eyes. “You always think that, can’t you think of something else for once?” She asked, sending a look of exasperation his way.   
This created a few laughs, particularly with the younger Guardians. However, Castiel didn’t seem to appreciate this. He glared at Cordelia and took a threatening step towards her and was about to draw his wand.   
“Don’t even think about it.” Freya hissed lowly, grabbing her own wand and pointing it in Castiel’s direction.   
Castiel stopped and glanced at Freya, sending a venomous glare her way. Freya returned it back, with an even deadlier glare. Castiel’s hand was still about to get his wand, and Freya still had her wand pointed her Castiel.   
Lucy and Connor exchanged nervous glances at one another. Everyone could feel the tension in the air. It was so thick and made them all feel like they were suffocating.   
“Back down, now,” Freya commanded, a slight growl in her throat.   
Biting his lip, Castiel did nothing for a few moments. But he seemed relaxed and moved his hand away from where his wand was.   
Nodding her head, Freya put her wand away.   
“We will not interrogate Eric yet, he will be watched carefully. Katrina, you will watch him at school. Castiel, you watch him in the dorms.” Freya said, looking to the Hufflepuff and Slytherin. She had chosen Katrina for a reason and that was because Katrina was stealthy and quick on her feet. She was excellent at tracking someone. Katrina also happened to share a few lessons with Eric. Castiel could then watch him in the dorms because they were in the same house.   
Katrina nodded her head, a happy expression on her face. However, Castiel didn’t look too pleased that he was sharing the responsibility.   
“For now, keep watching out for any seventh year that seems shifty. Read their minds, but don’t stay in too long.” Freya warned them before dismissing the meeting.   
With the meeting over, all the Guardians began to disperse, making sure to not be seen by anyone. Boys and girls leaving a girl’s bathroom could be seen as suspicious, even if their pendants had the memory charms inside. Even Moaning Myrtle seemed to leave them alone, but she would sometimes make noise.   
However, Freya called out. “Castiel, a word.” She said, looking at the younger Slytherin with a blank expression.   
Some other Guardians giggled to themselves before leaving. It wasn’t long before Freya and Castiel were alone.   
“Whatever you’re planning, I suggest you don’t,” Freya warned him, her eyes narrowing just so slightly.   
Castiel crossed his arm. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said, acting ignorant, but it wasn’t working.   
Freya walked closer to Castiel. “I know you’re trying to get some Guardians on your side. You’re trying to divide us and make them follow you. I’ll tell you now that it will not work.” Freya said to him, her tone barely above a whisper.   
Castiel frowned and his fists clenched.   
“Let me remind you where you stand since you’ve obviously forgotten. You are Dominque’s fourth Guardian, where I am James’ first Guardian. I have been around and doing this much longer than you have. I helped you get where you are today.” Freya hissed, looking into Castiel’s eyes. She said the last part slowly, just to let the message sink in clearly.   
Castiel reached for his wand, but the minute he does, he found Freya’s wand touching his neck.   
“Try it, I dare you,” Freya said, her face blank of anything.   
His fists clenched and his jaw tightened. The rage was clear on his face, but Freya couldn’t help but feel amused.   
“You will make a mistake Freya, and when you do, I’ll be there making sure you get what you deserve.” Castiel spat out before storming out of the room.   
Freya smirked.

HAPPY POTTER 

Later that day 

Everyone was now congregated in the Great Hall for breakfast. After breakfast was done, all Champions and Shields were getting their wands inspected, just to make sure they were acceptable to compete in the Triwizard Tournament. Freya stood with her fellow competitors on the stage, her face blank of any emotion. Beside her, Albus was shifting nervously. He was looking at his family, and they were sending him reassuring looks. Alicia and Isaak stood next to Freya. Alicia looked very confident, holding herself high and winking at a few boys. Isaak was more silent, having an air of sophistication around him. Ivan and Roman both stood tall and looked rather smug, but Ivan still seemed reserved.   
Freya briefly looked at James and found him flirting with a Beauxbatons girl. Freya fought against rolling her eyes at him. Of course, James would be making his move on the Beauxbatons. She had seen him flirt with a new girl every day, and Fred also seemed to be doing the exact same thing. Fred was also sitting with a Beauxbatons girl, a very pretty one at that.   
Looking over to Cordelia, Freya was slightly shocked at what she saw. Cordelia looked angry, her face was flushed red in anger and she was glaring at the girl Fred was speaking too.  
Freya frowned and looked away, pretending as though she didn’t see anything.   
Instead, she decided to focus on Grant Ollivander, the son of Garrick Ollivander. Garrick had retired and had let his son take over the business. However, he had accompanied his son for this day. Garrick was very old, he had curly white hair and his face was heavily wrinkled. However, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons almost made him seem younger, as though they were full of wonder. Grant took after his father in the looks department. Grant was a middle-aged man, parts his own hair also beginning to turn grey. He too had large pale eyes, but they seemed more serious than his father’s eyes.   
Grant looked at Alicia and Isaak’s wands and seemed very impressed with the appearance of them. They had obviously taken care of their wands. Grant hadn’t been that impressed with the condition of Roman’s wand, but he was with Ivan’s wand.   
Freya looked down at her own wand. It was a dark shade of black that had two black wooden vines wrapped delicately around the handle of the wand. Just like everyone else, she travelled to Diagon Alley when she was eleven years old to get her first wand. It was one of Freya’s happiest and darkest moments of her life. She was happy to get her wand, but it also meant her training got more intense and she officially becomes a Guardian. In those years before she got her wand, she had hoped for years that she would end up being a Squib, that way she couldn’t become a Guardian.   
Freya was ripped from her thoughts when she saw Grant walk over to her and Albus.   
“Your wand?” He asked, smiling at them.   
Albus looked at Freya, but Freya didn’t give her wand to him first. She had watched the interactions between the other Champions and Shields. The Champion is the one meant to give their wand first and then the Shield.  
Freya motioned for Albus to go first. “Champions first.” She muttered lowly so no one else could overhear. She did this for Albus’ benefit, she had noticed that he had a tendency to get nervous and flustered when there was a lot of attention on him unless it was Quidditch. Albus was confident on the pitch, not as confident as James though.   
Albus’ eyes widened for a moment before he nodded his head. Albus looked at Grant – who still had his hand outstretched – and handed over his wand.   
Grant immediately began his inspection. “Nine inches…. Laurel…. Mixed with Unicorn Tail hair….very flexible.” He muttered, looking overall happy with what he was seeing. He was moving the wand around, inspecting everything about it before handing it back.   
Albus sighed in relief. He had cleaned it, especially for today. He was glad he did after the looks Grant gave Roman.   
Grant now turned to her. “Your wand, miss?” He asked politely, his hand held out.   
Freya said nothing as she handed her wand over to him.   
Out of the corner of her eyes, Freya saw that Garrick Ollivander was looking over, interest in his big eyes. She had received her wand from him personally. When Freya was young, she spent ages in his shop just trying to find the right wand.   
“11 inches… Blackthorn …. Phoenix Feather…. Very unusual.” Grant muttered softly, looking at the wand with particular interest.   
Freya said nothing and watched him.   
Grant held the wand for a few moments before handing it back to her. Freya took it and placed it back in her robes. She knew why he thought her wand as usual. Freya’s wand didn’t have the trace on it, which every wand usually had. Hers didn’t have the trace on it though because Lance took it off when she first got the wand, just like he had with all the Guardian’s wands.   
Turning to look at McGonagall, Vladimir and Renée, Grant spoke. “All wands pass inspection.” He bowed slightly before backing away to stand next to his father.   
McGonagall nodded her head. “That will be all. Everyone off to lessons.” She said, dismissing everyone. The Durmstrang and the Beauxbatons were also being taught here. They were usually separated from everyone else in lessons and then brought altogether during their free time and meal times.   
All students leave the Great Hall, with Freya about to follow James, but a voice stopped her.   
“Miss Williams.”   
Freya froze were she stood. Slowly, she turned around and saw Garrick Ollivander standing there, looking directly at her. Freya couldn’t help the feeling of panic that rushed through her. Her eyes darted around the room and quickly noticed that no other Guardian was in the room, all had left. She was particularly looking out for Castiel and was glad when she didn’t find him.   
Forcing herself to relax, Freya looked to him. “You remember me?” She asked, hesitation in her tone. No one outside the Guardians was meant to recognise her. This had never happened to her before, and she should have been scared, but Freya actually felt happy.   
Mr Ollivander nodded his head weakly and smiled. “Of course. I always remember the people I sell wands too, particularly the Wizards and Witches who struggled to find a wand.” He said, humour in his tone.   
Freya smirked, being in his shop had been fun. It had been even better because her parents weren’t there to ruin it.   
“I also happen to remember your parent’s wands, but I trust you don’t want to hear about that.” Mr Ollivander lightly laughed to himself, as though he was repeating a private joke. It was amazing how he could remember every single wand that he had ever sold.   
“Not really,” Freya admitted, her smirk growing smaller.   
Scanning the room once more, Freya saw that no one else was present. Everyone had left, leaving her and Mr Ollivander alone.   
“I’ve noticed that your wand has changed, much like you have.” Mr Ollivander said while looking directly at Freya with a critical eye.   
Freya frowned and said nothing. She was very much different from when she was eleven years old. But Mr Ollivander didn’t look happy, in fact, he looked saddened by this. This confused Freya for a moment. She didn’t understand his reaction. Her parents were happy to see this change in her, they often commented on how incompetent she was back then. Her parents now mentioned how she acted like a true Williams.   
“Something has changed, and it has something to do with Lance Johnson.” Mr Ollivander commented.   
Immediately, Freya grabbed her wand and had it pointed at him. “How?” She asked quietly. She was confused, how did he know about Lance? Lance was very good at staying undetected. But Mr Ollivander seemed to know something, judging by the knowing look in his large eyes.   
Mr Ollivander smiled. “I’m afraid memory charms do not work on me anymore. I’ve been told I am quite resistant to them.” He said before laughing softly.   
Freya stared at him for a moment before lowering her wand.   
“Do be careful my dear. I’ve noticed that people associated with Lance don’t tend to have very long lives.” Mr Ollivander said, a frown on his face.   
Freya looked down to the ground. He was referring to all the other Guardians that have fallen during the years. No doubt that he had seen many children pass through his doors, only to never be seen again. One mistake could mean death, one mistake could change everything. Freya knew that more than anyone. Being around Lance wasn’t safe, it was one of the most dangerous places to be. But to say that out loud was basically a sin for the Guardians.   
Saying nothing, Freya turned around and walked away. 

HARRY POTTER 

Freya had joined Katrina by the Black Lake, where James and his friends were hanging around. Nearly all the Guardians were congregated in this area because there were a lot of people there. James was messing around with Fred, Frank Longbottom was sat under a tree, reading a book with his sister Alice next to him. Freya could see Alexander and Cordelia watching not too far away either, looking rather inconspicuous. It was autumn, but it felt warm and there was a nice breeze that came by every now and again. Sitting down on the grass next to Katrina, Freya watched James mess about, pushing and shoving Fred – who shoved him in return. They were laughing loudly, attracting a lot of attention from people around them.   
As she watched James, Freya couldn’t help but feel bitter. A wave of jealousy washed through her as she watched James carelessly goof off. Freya didn’t like James – she didn’t hate him – but she certainly didn’t like him   
“Hey, Freya,” Katrina said suddenly. “Do you remember when we were younger and your parents let us take you to the park?”  
Looking over, she saw Katrina looking up at the sky with a massive grin on her face. Freya smirked and nodded her head. “Of course, it was a good day.” Katrina’s dad had lied about where they were going to Freya’s parents. If her parents ever found out that she had gone to a Muggle park then they would have never let her go.   
Katrina’s father was well respected in the Pureblood community, but it wasn’t for his extremist views. Katrina’s father was a duelling champion, well known around the world. Even Freya’s parents respected him. But there was a tarnish on his ‘reputation’ as he had fallen in love with a Muggle and married her. Unlike many people, he found the Muggle world fascinating and interesting, and he would do Muggle activities, such as driving a car, going to parks and other things. He was ready to leave the wizarding world to be with Katrina’s mother. However, they soon had to separate because Katrina’s mother was getting death threats from the Pureblood extremists, so he left to protect Katrina, Alexander and her mother. The only reason he joined the Death Eaters was that he was blackmailed into to, if he hadn’t then they would have tried to kill Katrina, Alex and their mother.   
Katrina laughed. “You looked so terrified when we first got there.”   
Freya grumbled under her breathe. It was the see-saw that had terrified her as a child, she didn’t get how Muggle children actually had fun on that contraption. She didn’t like the slide either, especially when Katrina pushed her down it.   
“Then there was the time my mum took us to the zoo.” Katrina smiled widely as she remembered this.   
Freya smirked, “I remember you being scared of the big cats.” When they were around seven years old, they had gone to the zoo. When Katrina had seen the big cats, she burst into tears and began running away from them. Freya had to run after her and couldn’t find her for nearly an hour. Turns out, Katrina was hiding behind a bin all along, and she didn’t come out until her mother found her. However, Freya really liked the wildcat section, particularly the Lions.   
Katrina blushed slightly. “Y-yeah, but I remember how you were scared of the spiders!” She argued, trying to get back at her friend.   
Freya sneered. “They’re demons, that’s why I don’t like them.” She wasn’t scared of many things, but spiders always got her. Small spiders weren’t so bad, it was the giant ones that freaked her out. The hairy tarantula’s freaked her out more than anything. She wasn’t scared to admit that she had run away from the insect section of the zoo.   
Katrina quietened down and smiled, but it looked sad. “You used to smile a lot as a child.” She said her voice barely above a whisper.   
Frowning, Freya looked to her.   
“I remember you having a pretty smile,” Katrina said with a sigh in her tone.   
Rolling her eyes, Freya answered. “You smile enough for the both of us.” In reality, she was trying to deflect this topic onto Katrina. Katrina didn’t know about Freya’s parents or how close Lance was to her family, this was something she never brought up. Freya always made sure to never leave Katrina and her parents in the same room, even as a child because she knew that they didn’t like Half-Bloods.   
“Do you reckon we’ll ever have kids?” Katrina asked suddenly.   
Freya froze where she sat and her eyes widened. Did Katrina not know? Surely her father must have explained it to her before she actually became a Guardian. Guardians were not allowed to have children, it was forbidden. They also weren’t allowed to have their own family as it would be seen as a distraction from their job. Being a Guardian was a lonely job – one of the many reasons that some people didn’t last long. Opening her mouth, Freya was about to tell Katrina the truth, but she just couldn’t do it. It was like her voice box wouldn’t work and something was stopping her from saying anything. Freya knew why she couldn’t say anything. She couldn’t break Katrina’s heart, not like this.   
Instead, Freya nodded her head. “You’d be a great mother.” She had seen how Katrina acted with the younger years, she tended to mother them a lot. She would always be looking out for them and comforting them when things got too much.   
Katrina smiled widely, practically beaming. “I think you’d make a great mother too.” She said with enthusiasm. Sometimes, she really would come across like a child, but every now and again she would have her serious moments.   
Freya scoffed. “Not likely.”   
Katrina frowned and shook her head. “No, I really do. You are kind Freya, you just have trouble showing it. Look at how you’ve treated Rebecca and Connor, and you protected Cordelia from Castiel.”   
Freya smirked but doesn’t say anything more on the matter. Freya told Katrina nearly everything and vice versa. The only time Freya didn’t share something was when she was trying to protect Katrina from the harsh reality. They were best friends and Freya knew she could rely on her. They had grown up together so Katrina had seen her before she became the infamous Ice Queen of the Guardians. 

HARRY POTTER 

Over with James, he was pushing Fred around. They were both laughing and having run. They were mainly laughing at the Durmstrang boys that were running near the Black Lake and how many girls were drooling over them. Actually, James felt relieved that the Durmstrang guys were there because that meant some girls wouldn’t follow him around anymore. They were too busy looking at the foreign cuisine to notice him and he couldn’t be happier. Also, he was getting a chance to ogle at some girls from Beauxbatons. But, he was still looking for the grey-eyed girl from his dreams and wasn’t having any luck. James was almost sure that the girl probably wasn’t at Hogwarts, so maybe she was from Beauxbatons.   
Feeling a gaze on him, James turned his head and looked around but he doesn’t see anything at first. Shrugging his shoulder, James was about to turn around, only something caught his eyes.   
Or more like someone.  
“Hey Fred, do you know who that is?” James asked his ginger friend, pointing discreetly in the direction of the two girls sitting on the grass not too far away.   
James could only make out one of the girls though. The second one was too blurry and he found himself uninterested. However, the second girl had caught his interest. This girl was tall, that much he could tell even if she was sitting down. She seemed to have dark hair but he couldn’t make out the colour of her eyes. He couldn’t see her that much, but he felt like he had seen her before.   
Fred looked in the direction, but he frowned. “I don’t see anyone mate.”   
James sent him a confused look. “What? How can you not?”  
Fred shrugged his shoulders.   
Frowning, James looked back and this time he couldn’t see anything. He blinked a few times, trying to figure out if he had imagined this. He knew he didn’t, but he couldn’t help but doubt himself a bit.   
Had he just imagined it?

HARRY POTTER 

Later that night

Freya sat in her bed, drapes drawn and spells cast. She was reviewing the mirror watching what McGonagall had done that day. Secretly, Freya was hoping that McGonagall wouldn’t do anything that could incriminate herself, she didn’t want to have to report her. She couldn’t even find a loophole in this either, Lance had been very specific in his instructions. As she watched the mirror, Freya noticed something. She paused it with a tap of her wand and double tapped it so it would zoom in. Freya did this a few times until she got a good look at what she looking for.   
It was a letter, addressed to Kingsley Shacklebolt. Freya could only see the first line of the letter and she already spotted the word ‘Guardians’ within it. Freya then checked the rest of the day and notice that McGonagall hadn’t sent the letter off yet as it was still there even now.   
Freya would have to report this. If she didn’t and Lance found out then he wouldn’t be happy at all.   
Using her wand, Freya summoned a piece of parchment and quill with ink. Quickly, Freya wrote her report, adding in what she had seen on the letter. Freya didn’t add her opinion as she knew that Lance wouldn’t be interested in that.   
Just as Freya was about to sign the letter, she stopped.   
It was in that instance that she remembered her encounter with Mr Ollivander that morning. He knew something and the memory charm didn’t work on him at all. He shouldn’t have been able to remember her, but he did. If Freya didn’t report it, there was a chance that it may come back on her and bite her on the ass.   
Sighing deeply, Freya added her encounter with Mr Ollivander in her report.   
Looking down at the parchment, she read through it.   
Mr Johnson,   
McGonagall is writing a letter to Kingsley Shacklebolt, in which the word Guardian has been used. McGonagall has not sent the letter off as of yet.   
Mr Garrick Ollivander spoke with me and he remembered me, he stated that memory charms do not work on him, he also mentioned your name.   
Freya Williams   
It was brief, very brief. But Freya didn’t have the heart to put any more in. As she wrote this, she couldn’t help but feel as though she was betraying both McGonagall and Mr Ollivander, but she soon pushed that aside. Pushing back emotions were easy for the Williams, it was a trait Freya’s mother prided herself in.   
Sealing the letter, Freya looked up and saw her cat sleeping on the end of her bed. Her name was Sapphire – Sapphie for short. She is a long haired tabby cat that had unusually long ears compared to other cats. The one nice thing her parents did was allow her to have a pet from Diagon Alley. Originally, Freya was going to choose a classic owl, but this little minx found her. Freya had been browsing, looking at all the different animals and their range of colours and when she felt something swipe her. Freya only had to look at Sapphie in her big emerald eyes to know that she wanted her. Sapphie was spoilt and wouldn’t let anyone other than Freya touch her or feed her. The best part was that Sapphie hated her mother and would hiss whenever they were in the same room, however she seemed to tolerate her father.   
“Sapphie, take this to one of the owls, and don’t try to kill any this time,” Freya said, gently stroking the feline.   
Sapphie looked up and sent Freya a slightly annoyed look, she had been enjoying her nap. Sapphie let out a yawn, stood up and stretched. She looked at the letter and meowed. Sapphie grabbed the letter in her mouth and trotted off to the owlery.   
Freya sighed deeply once more before getting ready for bed.


	8. Chapter 8

The next day 

Freya sat at the Gryffindor table enjoying her breakfast that Sunday morning. Cordelia was sitting next to her, a huge smile on her face as she devoured the food in front of her. It always amazed Freya how much Cordelia could actually eat and still remain skinny. Cordelia was one of those people that had snacks during the day, she couldn’t just survive from having three meals a day. If Freya had eaten like Cordelia in front of her parents then she would have been slapped and screamed at by her mother. After watching Cordelia for a moment, Freya sneered and pushed away her plate. Seeing Cordelia eat had seriously put Freya off her food.   
Cordelia looked up, food smeared across her face. “You gonna eat that?” She asked, swallowing her food in her mouth. She was greedily eyeing the two pieces of bacon on Freya’s plate, but she seemed to be holding back.   
“Knock yourself out.” Freya sighed, moving the plate even closer to her. When she first met Cordelia, she didn’t like her, but Cordelia grew on her. At first, Freya would never let Cordelia pick off her plate – that was when her parent’s strict teachings were still ingrained within her – but now Freya found it endearing.   
Cordelia’s eyes lit up as she snatched the food away and onto her own plate.   
Shaking her head, Freya looked around and saw James, also heartily eating away. It looked like Fred and James were having an eating contest of who could eat the most. Freya rolled her eyes, honestly, she didn’t see the point. This happened often and most times James always lost, Fred was an eating machine and she didn’t even know where it went. To be fair, both Fred and James did a lot of exercises and they always gave a hundred per cent effort when it came to Quidditch.   
Looking up at the teacher’s table, Freya could see two extra seats and felt curious. She knew that there was going to be two more judges for the Triwizard Tournament so the votes wouldn’t become biased, but she didn’t know who they were going to be. Freya turned her head and watched everyone, something she liked to do very often. Every Guardian was present and each looked tired, slowly eating their breakfast. Katrina – along with most Hufflepuff – were wide awake and eating with gust and same with the Durmstrang. Ryan looked ready to fall asleep in his seat, the only thing supporting his head was his arm.   
The rest of breakfast passed really fast and ended with James looking a bit green with how much food he had eaten. Whereas Fred looked happy and content, burping heartily with a grin on his face.   
McGonagall stood from her seat, gaining everyone’s attention. “Good morning everyone, I trust everyone had a good sleep.” She said, sending a pointed look at the people who were sleeping at the table. One of them being Ryan – who hadn’t noticed he was being stared at by McGonagall.   
Clearing her throat, McGonagall continued. “The Triwizard Tournament will begin tomorrow morning, so I can now introduce the two extra judges.” She finished motioning for Mr Filch to fetch the guests. However, McGonagall looked sour and very unhappy, something that all Guardians noticed.   
Mr Filch ran out, hobbling on his way and was only gone for a few moments. He came back in with two guests, both male. Harry Potter and Lance Johnson walked in behind Filch and made their way up to where the teachers sat. Harry was calm, he looked at his children and smiled gently, while Lance seemed almost arrogant standing next to him. Lance had a wide smile on his face, showing off his perfect teeth.   
Freya’s eyes widened and her heart stopped beating for a moment. Horror filled her, but her face didn’t reveal how frightened she truly was.   
Lance turned his head and looked directly at her and grinned, a glint in his striking blue eyes.   
Ryan looked up and saw Lance, his eyes widen and his arm fell out from under him. This caused his head to crash onto the table. Cordelia silently gasped and seemed to choke on her own spit, causing her to cough violently. However, no one noticed these blunders. Every single Guardian now sat straight as a board, all schooling their expressions to nothing. The air in the hall immediately got tense, especially when McGonagall began glaring at Lance.   
“Mr Potter and Mr Johnson will be the other two judges. They have been brought in by the Ministry to ensure everyone’s safety.” McGonagall said, almost spitting Lance’s name out. She didn’t like him and he didn’t like her.   
Lance sent a disgusted look in McGonagall’s direction before sitting down in his seat next to Vladimir, while Harry sat next to Renee.   
McGonagall also sat back down in her seat – in the centre of the Great Hall. She made a point of ignoring Lance’s glares her way and began to make conversation with Professor Longbottom who was sitting on her left.   
It was at that moment the post had come. Owls flew into the Great Hall, all dropping off letters and packages. Cordelia had received two items, one was a Daily Prophet newspaper and the other was a letter from home.   
Freya couldn’t help the feeling of bitterness when she saw Cordelia’s eyes lit up when she saw she had a letter from her parents. Freya’s parents hardly ever sent her letters – which she was happy and disappointed with at the same time. Freya had learnt from the first year that her parents would never send a letter and if they did then it wasn’t going to be good.   
Cordelia gasped when she looked at the Daily Prophet, snapping Freya out of her thoughts.   
Looking over her shoulder, Freya saw what made Cordelia reaction so strongly. Freya’s eyes widened when she saw the headline. 

GARRICK OLLIVANDER FOUND DEAD IN HIS HOME. AURORS NOW INVESTIGATING – SUSPECTED MURDER. 

Immediately, Freya looked up at the teacher’s table and saw Lance looking straight at her, a smug and proud expression on his face. He was proud of her.   
This made Freya feel sick, though her face gave away nothing. She had sent in that letter, reporting that Mr Ollivander had spoken to her and now he was dead. It was her fault that he was dead, she could have easily not put that in her report.   
Breakfast passed quickly after that. Freya and Cordelia didn’t speak much, Cordelia was too much in shock and Freya was busy pushing back her emotions. She didn’t want to feel guilty but she did.   
Silently, all the Guardians left the room. Freya kept her head held high with her back and shoulders straight, just like her parents had taught her. She could feel Lance’s gaze on her as she walked out of the Great Hall and the feeling only went away once she entered the Gryffindor common room.   
Luckily, there weren’t many people there as it was a weekend and people were hanging around the castle. There were one or two students that darted into their rooms but no one seemed to pay attention to the two girls – this was one of the times that they were thankful for their pendants.   
Cordelia gripped Freya’s arm. “He’s here, oh my god.” She muttered lowly, her eyes wide as she sat down on the nearby chair. She looked like she was hyperventilating, the grip on Freya’s arm only getting tighter.   
Freya said nothing, but even she couldn’t suppress the horror she was feeling. Hogwarts was meant to be her safe place, the place that Lance or her parents couldn’t touch her. But Lance was here, he was going to be a judge in the Tournament that she was in.   
“W-what are we going to do?” Cordelia wheezed out, her eyes wide in horror.   
Freya grabbed Cordelia’s hand. “We can do nothing. More than likely his attention will be on me, so calm down.” Freya said, looking at Cordelia in the eyes, trying to reassure her. Though Freya didn’t really know how to.   
However, it seemed to work. Cordelia’s wheezes slowed down and she wasn’t breathing as shallowly anymore. Cordelia kept a tight grip on Freya’s arm, not letting go until she had completely calmed down and was now fully relaxed.   
Freya silently sighed, it was quite common to see Guardians have panic attacks. It was always usually set off by Lance one way or another. He didn’t even need to be in the room, but the mere mention of him could send people panicking. It had got worse lately because of this review, everyone was stressing over it, wondering what he was going to ask. So far, no one had failed it yet which was a good sign. However, not everyone had been for their review yet. Freya knew that Ryan, Katrina, Alexander and a few others still needed to have their reviews.   
Just then, a magical note wandered into the room and landed in Freya’s hand. Freya opened it and saw that it is from Lance.   
Freya,   
Report to McGonagall’s office immediately after receiving this note.   
Burn this note after reading.   
Lance Johnson   
Scowling, Freya clenched the note in her hand before throwing it in the fire nearby. The fire was always burning in the Gryffindor Common room. The fireplace was protected with a spell to stop any fire from coming out to not burn down the Common room. It also stopped people falling into it when burning – something that has happened in the past.   
Cordelia looked up. “Who was it from?”   
“Guess,” Freya said with a deadpanned expression.   
Cordelia paled. 

HARRY POTTER 

Quickly, Freya made her way up to McGonagall’s office. To her surprise, it was already open and when she walked in, she saw she wasn’t alone. Inside the office stood Lance and McGonagall, both glaring at one another. On the other side of the room stood Castiel and Lucy. Saying nothing, Freya walked over and stood next to Lucy and away from Castiel.   
Lance spoke, without looking away from McGonagall. “Nice to see the note made it to you in time, Freya.”   
Freya said nothing.   
McGonagall’s glare grew harsher. “I will ask again, what you are doing in my castle.”   
“I told you, I was sent by the Ministry,” Lance answered back, a small snarl in his throat. His fists were clenched, and they almost seemed to be itching to grab his wand. He wasn’t used to people challenging him, the only person who ever had was standing before him.   
McGonagall scoffed. “Preposterous. I was never told of your arrival. I was told of Mr Potter’s arrival and someone else.”   
Lance frowned, he didn’t know she had been informed. Though he wasn’t really surprised at the same time either. Seeing as he wasn’t winning this battle, he knew he had to change tactic. “You’re right, I asked to be here. But for one reason only.” He said, acting confident.   
McGonagall arched an eyebrow. “And what may that reason be?” She asked mockingly.   
“You are to stop trying to interfere with my department by exposing the Guardians,” Lance instructed clearly, holding his head up high.   
For a brief moment, McGonagall looked surprised, but it disappeared very quickly. She hadn’t sent the letter off yet, it was now laying on her desk in her personal quarters and she was about to send it off that afternoon, only for an unexpected surprise to come to her castle.   
McGonagall sneered. “I will do nothing of the sort. What you are doing is wrong and I will bring an end to it.”   
Freya’s facial expression remained impassive. But on the inside, she couldn’t help but feel impressed and slightly unnerved. She was impressed that McGonagall was able to go toe-to-toe with Lance but she felt unnerved about Lance’s reaction. However, McGonagall didn’t know the whole story. She only knew that they were there to protect their charges and were to remain undetected by everyone. But she didn’t know everything, like how they are expendable and all the punishments that come with this job. She had no idea about their Guardian marks either.   
Lance grinned wickedly. “If you don’t, you will be killed.”   
Lucy’s eyes widened as she looked at Lance in shock. She hadn’t been a Guardian long enough to know that this was Lance’s go-to threat. If he didn’t get his own way, he would threaten people with their lives. More times out of not, it worked. However, Freya and Castiel made no outward reaction to his statement since they were very much used to this.   
McGonagall laughed at him, causing Lance to frown. “I’d like to see you try.” She challenged a confident gleam in her eyes.   
Lance did not look happy, his face flushed red in anger for a moment. But then he grinned, making him look dangerous.   
Now, this look unnerved even McGonagall.   
Lance turned around to face Freya, Lucy and Castiel and he took out his wand. Freya felt nervous, she didn’t like the look in Lance’s eyes. She knew that something was going to happen, she just didn’t know what.   
“I’m warning you, give up or else,” Lance warned, sending McGonagall a look.   
McGonagall frowned and looked towards her students before shaking her head. “Never.” She hissed softly.   
“Then you asked for it,” Lance said before looking back to the three Guardians standing at the side of the room. Lance raised his wand and flicked his wrist in a complicated motion, the tip of his wand glowing yellow.   
Freya was confused, but then she felt it. It was an uncomfortably hot feeling, like something very warm was getting too close to her skin. Looking left, Freya saw that Lucy and Castiel also looked to be uncomfortable, just like she was. Instantly, Freya recognised it, Lance had activated their Guardian mark. He was trying to force McGonagall’s hand.   
McGonagall frowned. “What are you doing?” She asked, she watched her student shift uncomfortably and something made her feel unsettled.   
“It’s something I invented. It’s called a Guardian Mark and it allows me to control them. I’m showing you what happens when someone challenges me.” Lance said proudly, flicking his wrist once more. This time the tip of his wand turned orange.   
Freya’s eyes widened when the pain got more intense. It felt like someone was pouring boiling water over the back of her neck and the rest of her body. Freya clenched her jaw, willing herself not to scream in pain. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into the palms of her hand, drawing blood.   
Lucy screamed, falling to her knees. She was cradling her neck, as though trying to soothe the pain she was feeling. Tears were falling down her face and she was shaking. Castiel was hunched over in pain, his face contorted in pain.   
“Stop this!” McGonagall yelled at him, her own wand raised.   
Lance just smirked sadistically and flicked his wrist once more. The tip of his wand turned a pinkish colour now.   
Freya’s eyes practically bulged out of her eye sockets when the second wave of more intense pain coursed through her. This pain was on the same level as the Crucio curse and it would only get worse from there. This time, Freya couldn’t keep her composure. She fell to the ground, on her knees letting out whimpering cries of pain.   
Lucy was screaming loudly, withering in pain. She was sobbing, begging for it to stop.   
Castiel was on the ground, screaming and holding the back of his neck, hoping it would stop soon.   
McGonagall raised her wand, ready to attack Lance, but he raised his hand. “Do it, and I’ll kill them.” He hissed lowly, glaring in her direction.   
McGonagall looked at her students, this was an impossible decision. If she gave in then she couldn’t help them in the future, but if she didn’t then they may not have a future.   
Lance sighed roughly and flicked his wrist again. This time, the tip of his wand turned a bright red colour.   
Freya screamed the pain was too intense. The third wave of white-hot pain hit her like a ton of bricks on her neck. Freya screamed as tears burned her eyes, threatening to fall. Freya fell to the ground, withering in pain, curling up into a ball to hopefully help it, but it didn’t help at all.   
No sound came from Lucy – she had passed out from pain. However, her body was twitching violently, even when unconscious she could still feel the pain.   
Castiel was barely awake, he was shouting and screaming. He was withering on the ground, moving around to try and help the pain but nothing helped at all. It was a constant pain that didn’t go away and it didn’t waver.   
“Alright! I won’t interfere, just stop it now!” McGonagall yelled out, looking at her students with an expression of despair and horror.   
Lance smirked and flicked his wand once more.   
Instantly, the pain disappeared.   
Freya lay on the ground, shivering from the after effects from the pain she was feeling. Tremors shook her body and her bones. Her breathing was laboured, she was struggling to gain any breathe back into her lungs as her heart was beating over time. Weakly turning her head, Freya saw Castiel in an even worse state then she and Lucy didn’t look like she was breathing. Slowly, Freya made her way into a kneeling position, trying to regain some strength.   
Lance looked at McGonagall with a smug expression. “I’m glad you see it my way, Minerva.” With that, he turned and left with a spring in his step.   
McGonagall sneered before rushing over to her students. First, she ran over to Lucy only to find she was, in fact, unconscious and not dead like she had thought for a moment. She then checked on Castiel and Freya. By that time, Freya had slowly made it up to her feet, but she felt very weak and sick. All the energy had been drained from her. For a moment, Freya thought she was going to fall back on the ground, but she leaned against the wall for support.   
“Take these,” McGonagall said, handing Castiel and Freya Pepperup Potions that she had in her office, hoping that it would help them.   
Without hesitation, Freya downed the potion, not minding its bitter taste.   
“I’ll take her back to her Common room,” Castiel muttered lowly before leaving, carefully picking up Lucy.   
Guardians were only allowed to visit the infirmary occasionally if they visited too often then it would become suspicious. Even though they had the pendant, it was becoming obvious that Madame Pomfrey was becoming resistant to the memory charm because of how much Guardians would visit her with injuries. It also didn’t help that Madame Pomfrey had a record of people who would come and visit her, and getting those records were harder than anticipated.   
Once alone, McGonagall looked to Freya. “Does that happen often?” She asked softly.   
Freya looked at her with an expression that said: Yes, it does. But she never said those words out loud, she couldn’t. Freya didn’t want to go through that pain again. She had managed to get through five years without her Guardian mark activating once. She only knew of the pain because Lance had told her and she had seen others go through it.   
McGonagall sighed deeply, leaning against her desk.   
Within a few minutes, Freya was feeling better. But she would equate that to the Pepperup Potion and because of the healing charm, McGonagall had added into her pendant. Without saying anything more, Freya left McGonagall’s office. 

HARRY POTTER 

Later that night   
Albus sat in the common room with a cup of tea. It was late and most people in the Slytherin House were asleep by now – or pretending to be anyway. But Albus couldn’t sleep and that was because of how nervous he was feeling. The Triwizard Tournament was tomorrow and he was going to have to compete. There was no way to get out of this. His dad had tried writing to the Ministry of Magic about it – but it had been turned down by Lance Johnson. Now, his dad was here to make sure everything went as smoothly as it could. That did make Albus feel better, but not much. He had thought his housemates would tease him, but actually, they all praised him. They all said it was about time that Slytherin’s got some positive representation for once. The house fighting wasn’t as bad as it used to be, people didn’t immediately judge Slytherins anymore – though sometimes there was some animosity between the houses that cropped up whenever the Quidditch Cup was being fought for.   
Sighing, Albus looked at the fire with a glum expression.   
“Hey! Albus!”  
Albus’ head shot up when he heard the familiar voice of James. “James?” He asked with uncertainty as he couldn’t see anyone.   
Just then, James appeared before him, dropping his invisibility cloak. It also revealed Lily was under the cloak, a large grin on her face.   
“James? Lily? What are you guys doing here?” Albus exclaimed loudly, before quickly bringing down his voice so as not to attract any attention.   
Lily rolled her eyes. “What do you think, dummy?” She asked, sarcasm in her tone.   
“We’re here to help you! We’re going to find out what your first challenge us.” James said, a large grin on his face.   
Albus panicked for a moment. “Keep your voice down! You’re not exactly the most popular person in Slytherin.” James had a tendency to prank a few too many Slytherin, causing some tension for Albus at times. James was always daring, but it would turn ugly very fast if any Slytherins discovered that James was in their Common room.   
“Well then come on!” Lily whispered/yelled at him.   
Sighing, Albus got under the cloak with his brother and sister.   
Quickly, they began walking out of the castle, heading for Hagrid’s hut. They had to stop a few times to make sure no Prefects heard them. What none of them noticed was the three shadows that were following the three Potter siblings, not too far away.   
When Albus saw Hagrid’s hut, he looked at his siblings with a confused expression. “Why are we here?” He asked.   
James looked down at him. “Don’t you remember dad’s stories? Hagrid always helped them out when they needed it. It was also Hagrid who showed dad his first challenge!”   
Lily nodded her head. “Honestly, and you’re meant to be the smart one.” She said with a grin on her face.   
Albus flushed and glared at her.   
Lily turned and looked at him, feigning an innocent expression.   
They walked a few more minutes before they saw Hagrid. They quickly followed him and noticed how he would look over his shoulder every now and again. After a few minutes of walking into the forest, the Potter family stopped and watched. Hagrid had entered a clearing with quite a few people in. There were three cages, all containing mythical creatures. They were all roaring and rocking the cages. Inside the cage farthest from the Potter family was a Griffin, next to it was Chimera and the last was a Dragon. Further away, they could see Charlie Weasley near the dragon cage, making sure it stayed calm.   
“Holy shit.” James breathed, staring at the beasts with wide eyes.   
Lily looked up at her brother and saw Albus with a horrified expression. They all knew what this meant. There was a possibility that they would be fighting one of those creatures.   
Albus gulped when he looked at the Dragon. He didn’t want that one if he did then he would sure he was going to be Dragon chow. Fighting a Dragon wasn’t easy, many wizards had failed in that quest to beat a Dragon.   
Lily grabbed Albus’ hand. “You’ll be fine. Remember, there is two of you fighting one beast.” She said, sending him a reassuring look.   
James snorted. “That’s if that person is capable.” He was referring to Albus’ shield, but he frowned when couldn’t really remember what this person looked like. He tried looking back on his memories but found nothing.   
“James!” Lily scolded, sending him a withering expression.   
Albus looked at the ground. “Can we go, please?” He asked quietly. He had seen enough. He knew what creatures he was going to facing that gave him time to at least research them and find out what their weaknesses are.   
Without another word, James, Lily and Albus walked back to the castle.   
Not too far away, Freya could be seen standing in the shadows. She had seen the creatures and was hoping to dear god that she and Albus didn’t get the Dragon. Rebecca had also paled seeing the creatures and Connor looked like he wanted to be sick.   
It didn’t take them long to reach the castle. On the way back, Lily had darted back into the Gryffindor Common room, claiming she was really tired. However, James made sure to walk Albus back under the cloak.   
Once in the Slytherin Common room, Albus felt sick.   
“James, what am I going to do? I can’t fight any of them.” Albus said, pacing around the Slytherin Common room with a panicked expression. It had really hit him how dangerous this was going to be.   
James frowned, watching his brother for a moment. If he could trade places with his brother then he would in a heartbeat. Having enough, James grabbed Albus by the shoulders. “You will be fine. You’re Albus Severus Potter! Your magic is awesome, you can beat anyone in a duel.” James said, a large grin on his face.   
Albus looked at his brother in awe for a moment before he looked glum once more. “But everyone’s going to expect me to be like dad.”  
James sighed deeply, he knew that feeling. Since he was Harry Potter’s first child, there was a lot of expectations around him. Everyone expected him to be just like his dad, but James didn’t want to be. When he was in the first year, James was terrified that he wouldn’t get Gryffindor because he knew that it was what everyone expected of him.   
“Al, you’ll be fine. Don’t live by people’s expectations, live on your own. They don’t live the life you live so don’t let them tell you what to do.” James smirked softly, messing up his brother’s hair with affection.   
Albus smiled slightly. “Thanks, James.”   
“No problem, now take this,” James said, handing the Slytherin the cloak of invisibility.   
Albus stared at James in shock, he was really giving him this. Albus would have to fight James for the cloak if he really wanted it. James always had the cloak because he and Fred would always be pranking people and needed it.   
James waved him off. “You’ll need it more than more anyway. Besides, I want it back afterwards.” With that, James ran out of the Slytherin dorm room and back to his own.   
Albus relaxed slightly, he knew his family was behind him and that’s all he really needed at this point. With that in mind, Albus headed back upstairs to get some sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

The next day 

Freya woke up that morning feeling anxious. The first challenge was that day and she didn’t know how to feel about it. She had gone to bed late that night after following James, Albus and Lily into the Forbidden Forest. However, she was glad she did because now she sort of knew what she was going to happen. Freya had spent last night researching the Beast’s weaknesses and what to look out for so it wasn’t like she was unprepared. Freya just hoped that Albus was smart enough and did the exact same as her. Getting up, Freya began searching her wardrobe looking for some casual clothes. She wanted to wear something comfortable and not so restricting so she could move easily. However, Freya found nothing but fancy dress robes that her parents made her wear, nothing casual. Her parents detested muggle clothing, especially jeans.   
Freya sighed roughly when she couldn’t find anything. “Just great.” She muttered lowly.   
Just then, Cordelia came out of the bathroom in casual clothes. Everyone got the day off that day so they could watch the Tournament.   
“You’re not dressed.” Cordelia pointed out, looking confused. Usually, Freya was always the first awake and ready for the day. Seeing Freya still in her PJs was actually shocking and slightly amusing. She even had bed head, something that Cordelia had never seen on Freya before. She kind of thought it was cute, the only thing ruining the image was the scowl on Freya’s face.   
“I don’t have any casual clothes,” Freya said, sneering at her wardrobe. Her parents always picked her clothes for her. Her mother said that she had to uphold the Williams name at all times by being dressed for perfection.   
Cordelia looked thoughtful. “You can borrow some of my clothes. We’re around the same height.” She said, walking over to her trunk and taking out a few pieces of clothing. She picked up a pair of dark blue jeans, a white tank top and a red hoodie.   
Freya looked at them and nodded her head. “Thanks.” With that, Freya went into the bathroom to get ready.   
Cordelia beamed, she was happy to help. Freya had helped her throughout the years, so it was nice to return the favour every now and again. It was harder than expected because Freya didn’t rely on many people, not even Katrina.   
A few minutes later, Freya walked out, dressed in the clothes that Cordelia had lent her. The jeans were a bit loose, but Freya knew she had a belt somewhere in her trunk. The tank top was a bit tight around Freya’s chest area, but the hoodie was nice and baggy so no one would notice. Freya couldn’t help but notice how comfy it was to be in jeans, it was a lot less restrictive than the robes her parents made her wear. Freya then picked up her brown boots – they were dragon hide so she knew they would provide some protection that day. The boots actually belonged to her sister and her parents didn’t know about them at all. It wasn’t much, but it gave Freya something to remember she sister by and it was the slightest bit of rebellion against her parents that she was able to get away with.   
“Looking good,” Cordelia said, smiling and holding up her thumbs.   
Freya smirked, grabbing her wand and checking the time. It was only seven o’clock in the morning, Freya had only been asleep for four hours, but she was used to not sleeping that much so it didn’t bother her. Guardians could only sleep once their charges were asleep, they could never sleep before just in case anything happened. It was especially annoying for Freya when James would be working on pranks until the early hours of the morning and would then have Quidditch practice.   
With everything ready, Freya and Cordelia headed down to the Great Hall for some breakfast. The Tournament was due to start at nine so they had some time before then.   
On the way, Rebecca ran over to the older Gryffindors, looking rather nervous. She too was dressed in casual clothing.   
“Good morning Rebecca!” Cordelia greeted with a smile. She waved at her with so much energy considering it was early morning. Freya sent Cordelia an annoyed look, not appreciating her loud voice so early in the morning and before her morning coffee.   
Rebecca nodded, smiling back. “Morning Cordelia. Morning to you too Freya.” She said, looking at the older girl with a flush.   
Freya nodded her head in acknowledgement.   
Rebecca cleared her throat. “I-is that any chance I could speak to Freya alone?” She asked, looking at both Cordelia and Freya.   
Nodding her head, Freya turned to Cordelia. “I’ll meet you in the Hall.”  
Smiling, Cordelia ran off, running into Ryan and Katrina on the way.   
Now alone, Freya looked to the younger Slytherin. “What do you need?” She asked, staring at her with an impassive expression.   
Rebecca bit her lip. “I was wondering what was going to happen today.”   
Freya pursed her lips together, she understood what Rebecca was saying. Freya certainly couldn’t protect James today while being in the games, and Rebecca couldn’t protect Albus when he was in the Tournament. “While I and Albus are in the Tournament, our roles will switch. I will protect Albus and you will protect James. Once we’re out, it goes back to normal.” Freya suggested, knowing that this was a dangerous game. To pass on the responsibility to another person could be tricky because there is a chance that the person wasn’t competent enough. If anything happened, both Guardians involved would be punished severely.   
Rebecca looked apprehensive but nodded her head nonetheless. She knew that Freya would definitely protect Albus very well, she was just worried about mucking up Guarding James.   
“Now, let’s go. I need breakfast.” Freya said, feeling her stomach rumble. She could smell food and she dreadfully needed her cup of coffee to function in the mornings. 

HARRY POTTER 

Freya now stood in the arena outside the castle. The arena had been specially assembled for today’s challenge, and it was bigger than the Quidditch pitch. It was intricately made of different stone Beasts, the most notable were the five stone Dragons next to the five stone Chimeras and five stone Griffins. Right next to her was Albus and the other Champions and Shields. They all stood in the middle of the arena, waiting for more information to be given out. Albus looked around nervously, he already knew what they were going to be doing. He hadn’t told anyone and was just glancing at his partner with a nervous expression. Freya noticed this and didn’t say anything to him. Ivan and Roman stood tall, looking very confident and seemed to be dressed in battle armour. Alicia and Isaak stood on Freya and Albus’ other side, dressing in jeans and jumpers.   
Loud cheering could be heard from all the people had that assembled in the standing area. At the front were all the teachers, the judges lined up in front. James stood in the audience, next to Lily. Both of them were looking out for Albus. They were waving at him and shouting his name in encouragement – in fact, the whole Slytherin House seemed to be doing that too.   
Harry was also looking down to his son, knowing what he must be feeling.   
Lance was looking directly at Freya with a blank expression.   
McGonagall stood up from her seat, gaining everyone’s attention as everyone fell silent.   
Casting a quick spell to project her voice, she spoke. “Thank you all for joining us today. Today, the tournament will begin!” McGonagall looked to Lance and sat down.   
Lance stood up, casting the same spell as McGonagall just moments ago. “Today’s challenge is called the Battle of the Beasts! There will be three matches today and each pair will face off against a Beast that has especially brought in for this moment!” Lance let this all sink in, smiling charmingly at everyone who looked at him.   
Cheers echoed loudly, while some students looked frightened.   
Lance continued. “To end the match, the pair must subdue the Beast before the match can be declared over, or if they go over the time limit of thirty minutes. In each challenge, the pairs have an opportunity to obtain a key. If a pair doesn’t obtain a key then they can still advance to the next stage, but they will be at a disadvantage.” As he said this, he looked at Freya for a moment before looking away.   
Freya looked at her surroundings first. It was a rocky terrain with many large stones that could provide shelter. Freya kept her hand over her wand, ready for anything to happen.   
“Your Beasts will be picked at random. The first team that will be fighting first are Beauxbatons’ Champion and Shield!” Lance announced, pointing in the direction of them.   
Alicia beamed while Isaak looked slightly nervous   
“Other contestants, please leave the field for a moment until it is your turn,” Lance said, his loud voice booming so everyone could hear.   
Wordlessly, Freya and Albus left the stage with Roman and Ivan following closely behind. Soon, they all found themselves in a quiet place. It looked like a large magical tent with nursing beds just in case anyone was seriously injured. There was also a seating area where they could watch Alicia and Isaak fight.  
“There is no press here.” Albus sighed in relief. He had remembered when his dad told him about Rita Skeeter – who had retired quite some years ago.   
Roman scoffed, “What, were you expecting to get interviewed? Is being a Potter child not enough for you?” He sent Albus a look of contempt before crossing his large arms over his chest.   
Ivan looked at his teammate. “Cut it out.” He was trying to defuse the situation. Unlike his fellow teammate, he had respect for Harry Potter and his family. His father had told him many stories, ones that Ivan stilled loved hearing about today.   
Albus frowned. “That’s not it…”   
Roman made his move and walked closer to Albus, looking angry. However, before he could even get close, Freya was already in front of him, her wand lightly grazing his neck. “Try it, I dare you.” She hissed lightly, glaring at him.   
Gritting his teeth, Roman went to grab his wand.   
“Roman!” Ivan yelled, grabbing him and pulling him away. He didn’t want any conflict, and this girl unnerved him for some reason. There was a protective aura around her and he knew not to mess with her. He hadn’t even seen her move or pull out her wand.   
Roman glared at Freya before backing down. He and Ivan moved far away from Albus and Freya, throwing them dirty looks.   
When he was far away, Freya put her wand away.   
Albus looked at her with a bashful expression. “Thank you.” He muttered under his breath, but still loud enough for her to hear.   
Freya heard, but she made no acknowledgement of that she heard.   
This caused Albus to frown. “Hey, did you hear me?” He asked, his voice slightly louder than before. But, still, Freya made no acknowledgement of his words, making him sigh roughly.   
Just then, a loud roar pierced the air. Everyone’s attention was now focused on Alicia and Isaak. Their Beast had been revealed and it was the Griffin. Freya mentally cursed, she was hoping that she and Albus would get the Griffin. Out of all the Beasts that they had, the Griffin’s were the calmest, definitely not as vicious as the Chimera or the Dragon. As Freya watched the Griffin, she took notice to a silver key around the Beasts neck that was what Alicia and Isaak needed to obtain to have an advantage in the next round.   
Freya was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt someone touch her. Freya flinched and jumped back, her wand already in her hand. However, it was just Albus – who was staring at her in shock. He didn’t mean for her to react the way she did, but he had been calling her a few times and that’s when he realised he didn’t actually know her name.   
“I-I never got to know your name,” Albus said, smiling nervously.   
Freya frowned. She didn’t know whether or not to tell him. There wasn’t much point because he would just forget anyway. “Freya.” She answered shortly, looking back to the match at hand. It seemed as though Alicia and Isaak worked well as a team. Isaak was the defensive one of the two whereas Alicia was on the offensive one.   
Albus nodded his head. “I found out what Beasts there were, we may end up-”  
He didn’t get to finish though as Freya cut him off. “I know. There is still a Chimera and a Dragon. I hope you’re prepared.” Freya said, not looking at him and focusing on the match. She was watching how well Alicia and Isaak worked together, trying to see any weaknesses. If there was any chance of going against any of them, Freya wanted to be prepared.   
Albus was speechless, he was staring at Freya in shock.   
A loud sound went off, indicating that time was up. When Freya looked, she saw that Isaak had the silver key in his hands, looking very proud. They both looked roughed up, their clothes were torn in placed and they had scrapes all over their body. 

Their scores;   
Renée gave a 9  
Vladimir gave a 7  
McGonagall gave an 8  
Harry gave an 8  
Lance gave a 5

With the first match finished, Lance stood up from his seat. “The next pair will be from Durmstrang!” He projected his voice loudly, watching as Alicia and Isaak made their way off stage and into the tent.   
Roman’s eyes lit up as he dashed forward while Ivan was walking at a calmer pace than his fellow Champion. 

HARRY POTTER 

Freya was watching Roman and Ivan’s match carefully. She didn’t like Roman much, that’s why she wanted as much data on him as possible. If it ever came down to fight, Freya would rather not be surprised. Roman was all about brute strength, he was attacking the Chimera with full force without any thought to his Shield – Ivan. However, Ivan seemed to be adapting to Roman’s forceful behaviour and was ensuring that his partner was safe.   
Isaak walked over to them, a smile on his face. “How are you feeling?” He asked politely, looking at Freya more than Albus.   
Freya didn’t notice this however and just nodded her head. “Fine.” She said shortly.   
“I’m a little nervous,” Albus admitted with a frown.   
Isaak sent him a sympathetic look. He understood that it must be hard for him, Albus was only fourteen whereas the other – besides Freya – where all seventeen. Isaak couldn’t imagine himself being in the exact situation at fourteen years old.   
Alicia walked over and scoffed. “Then maybe you shouldn’t have put your name in the Goblet then.” She said, flicking her hair. She had changed her clothes and all her scraps were gone, making her look fresh.   
Albus frowned. “But I didn’t.” He was starting to get sick of this. People were accusing him of putting his name in the Goblet of Fire and he was a hundred per cent sure that he never did that. Now he was beginning to understanding what his father went through.   
Alicia sneered, not believing him in the slightest.   
“Alicia.” Isaak scolded, sending a withering glare at his twin sister. The whole reason the Triwizard Tournament was made to unite the schools together. He could tell Albus was trying, but his sister was just being difficult now.   
Freya rolled her eyes at Alicia’s attitude.   
However, Alicia seemed to have caught this action. “Do you have a problem?” She asked, glaring at the younger girl.   
Freya looked at her with an apathetic expression. “Yes, you.”   
Alicia glared venomously at her, her hand itching for her wand. By the time Alicia had her hand on her wand, Freya already had her wand drawn and pointed at her. Alicia and Freya glared at one another, neither one giving in. Alicia had stopped when she realised she was caught and that didn’t stop the bubbling anger build up in her chest. She had been bested by a sixth year Gryffindor – something that wasn’t settling with her.   
“You wouldn’t dare.” Alicia hissed lowly.   
Freya’s eyes lit up at the challenge, something that made Alicia and Isaak feel unnerved. “Try me.” Freya dared with a smirk.   
Isaak cleared his throat. “Enough of that.” He said, dragging his twin sister away. He didn’t want a fight to happen between the two females. Freya’s magical energy had unnerved him because of how powerful it was. One thing was certain, Isaak didn’t want to fight that girl and now he just had to make sure his sister didn’t either.   
A buzzing sound went off, indicating the end of the match. Freya turned her head and saw that Roman and Ivan looked heavily beaten up and with no key insight. They weren’t able to obtain their key.   
Freya looked to the judges and waited for their scores. 

Renée gave a 6   
Vladimir gave a 9  
McGonagall gave a 5   
Harry gave a 6  
Lance gave a 4

That put them in second place out of two people. Roman didn’t look too happy with the scores and stormed off stage with Ivan trailing behind him.   
Freya took a deep breath, it was now her and Albus’ turn.   
They both walk onto the field and Freya already had her wand drawn. They were going to face the Dragon, the only one she didn’t want to fight. Dragons were deadly and powerful. Freya mentally cursed the person who decided to make two underage Wizards fight a Dragon of all Beasts they could have chosen. Freya looked up and saw Cordelia, Ryan and Katrina all watching her, sending her encouraging looks.   
Albus looked into the crowd and saw his family, they all looked worried. Harry seemed to be arguing with Lance, sending the man a withering look.   
The sound of chains being pulled brought both Albus and Freya back to earth. The door was opening to bring out their Beast. Freya gripped her wand tighter, tensing. Albus now had his wand in his hand as he tried to calm himself down by breathing in and out. The door opened revealing a Peruvian Vipertooth, a highly venomous dragon. Its scales are smooth and copper-coloured. It also has black ridge-markings and short horns on its head. Upon its release, it roared loudly and jumped into the air  
Seeing the Dragon made Freya panic slightly. She grabbed Albus’ arm and dragged him behind some rubble, giving them a perfect cover.   
The Dragon landed on the ground with a heavy thud. It roared loudly, making Freya’s ears ring. Carefully, Freya peaked and saw that the Peruvian Vipertooth had now calmed down and had settled down on a perch of rubble. She took notice of the gold key that hung from its neck, the prize they needed to obtain to gain an advantage.   
“Why are we hiding?” Albus asked, his voice low.   
Freya sent him an incredulous look. “You want to attack a Dragon that has just been thrown in the arena?” That would have been a dangerous move. To attack a dragon when it was wound up would be suicidal of them.   
Albus shook his head frantically, realising how stupid his question now was. “One of us needs to distract it. The other then needs to go for the key.” Albus suggested, thinking about it for a moment.   
Freya sent him an impressed look, it was very similar to what she had been thinking. “I’ll distract it, you get the key,” Freya said, taking another peak and saw the Dragon was looking around the field, no doubt looking for them.   
Albus looked unsure for a moment.   
Sighing, Freya grabbed Albus by the shoulders. “I won’t let anything happen to you, so calm down.” She said, looking at him directly in the eyes.   
This seemed to work, Albus calmed down and smiled at her.   
“Now, let’s go,” Freya said, standing up and running out into the field.   
Freya ran into the eye line of the Peruvian Vipertooth. “Aguamenti!” A jet of water shot out of Freya’s wand, hitting the Vipertooth in the face. The spell didn’t really do anything to it because Dragons resisted most spells, but it certainly caught its attention. The Vipertooth roared loudly as it tried to move away, but she wasn’t letting it. She kept sending more water its way, making sure the Vipertooth didn’t notice Albus run from his spot behind the rock. The Vipertooth jumped away and roared loudly before running at Freya. Freya stopped her spell and ran to the opposite side from Albus. As long as the Dragon’s eyes were trained on her than Albus could grab the key around its neck.   
When Freya was far enough, she shot another spell at it.   
With Albus, he was in a hiding spot near the Vipertooth. He made sure to stay away from its tail as it is known to swipe people with its tail and it is known to be poisonous. From his hiding position, he could study the key from there. The gold key was around the Vipertooth’s neck by a chain that looked to be locked. Freya was doing a great job in distracting the Vipertooth, she kept shooting spells at it and then running to another part of the arena so the Vipertooth couldn’t concentrate and shoot its fire.   
Taking his wand he made a backwards ‘S’ shape with his wand while he whispered the spell. “Alohomora.” The lock that held the key came undone and the gold key fell to the ground with a loud clang.   
The arena went silent, even the Vipertooth went silent.   
Freya looked at Albus with wide eyes.   
The Vipertooth roared and turned its attention to Albus. Albus froze where he was as he stared up at the Vipertooth with horror in his eyes. He didn’t know what to do, he hadn’t anticipated that the key would make such a loud noise when it dropped to the ground.   
“Run!” Freya yelled at him when she saw that he wasn’t moving from that spot.   
“ALBUS!” James yelled down, jumping up from his seat.   
Harry watched in horror as his son was frozen to the spot. His fists were clenched and his hand was resting on his wand. He was ready to intervene at a moment’s notice. However, Lance sat there with interest written on his face, he was wondering how this was going to turn out.   
This snapped Albus out of his stupor, just in time as the Vipertooth was running towards him. As he ran, he was looking for a place to hide. However, it was just his luck that he tripped over on a piece of loose rubble on the ground.   
Albus yelped as he fell, and turned around and saw the Vipertooth coming towards him.   
Freya saw the Vipertooth was getting closer to Albus and knew she needed to do something. She ran after the Beast until she was next to its tail. What she about to do next was completely reckless and no Wizard or Witch should ever do this.   
“Protego!” Freya shouted, pointing it at Albus.   
A shield appeared around Albus, just in time as the Vipertooth tried to attack with its claws, only to meet resistance with a shield. The Vipertooth shrieked and attempted to crack the shield with such ferocity.   
Freya then turned to the Vipertooth’s tail. She pointed her wand at the Dragon’s tail and the tip of her wand glowed white. She was using the Stinging Jinx on the Dragon’s tail, something she would come to regret.   
The Vipertooth roared and turned its head.   
Freya looked to Albus, “Run. Now!” She yelled at him, not paying attention to anything else around her.   
Turing her head back, Freya saw the Vipertooth’s tail heading towards her. It was too close to duck or use a shield spell. It had been stupid of her to take her eyes off the Beasts, but she needed to make sure Albus was safe. The tail hit her at such amazing speed, faster than anything Freya had ever come across. It hit her chest, sending her flying backwards into the stone wall as a loud crack sounded in the arena. Freya stood still, her eyes wide and void of anything before crumpling to the ground face first, not moving in the slightest. She didn’t even look to be breathing.   
A chorus of gasps sounded throughout the arena as they watched what happened.   
“No!” Katrina screamed out, tears gathering in her eyes.   
Ryan was watching with wide eyes, his hand over his mouth in shock. Cordelia had already fallen out of her seat in shock and horror. She supposes it was kind of childish that she thought Freya was nearly invincible. But she never thought that this would ever happen.   
However, no one noticed these reactions. Lance had stood up and was staring at Freya, waiting for her to make a move. McGonagall’s hand went over her mouth in horror. She was begging for Freya to move – to do something.   
“NO!” Albus screamed from his hiding spot. Without thinking, Albus ran over to Freya and checked up on her. But before he could get close, the Vipertooth’s tail swung down and blocked his path. Albus spared a glance towards Freya before running away. Tears were running down his face, he had just seen someone die.   
James watched in horror, his brother now had to fend for himself. James spared a glance at the girl that helped him. Without her, Albus would have been killed right from the get-go. It wasn’t that James didn’t believe in Albus, but he did doubt that he would be able to take on a Dragon on his own.   
Albus ran, looking for the key. Just as he was about to use his wand to cast the Accio spell, the Vipertooth roared and spat fire at him. Albus quickly ran behind a piece of debris and began thinking. Albus looked up at the time he had left, there were still ten minutes and he didn’t think he was going to last that long. Just then, the Vipertooth’s claw appeared above his head, it had found him. Taking the chance, Albus ran out of his hiding place, trying to find another. However, the Vipertooth was smarter and had cornered Albus and he couldn’t move.   
“Al!” Lily yelled out, her eyes wide with dread.   
The Vipertooth opened its mouth to spit fire. It breathed it and then exhaled a ferocious fire. Albus closed his eyes and awaited his fate.  
“Protego!”  
A shield appeared around Albus keeping him safe from the burning flames. Albus opened his eyes and his mouth dropped. On the other side of the arena stood Freya, who had blood dripping from her head. She looked to be in pain but was standing nonetheless. She didn’t look happy, in fact, she looked pissed.   
Freya pointed at the stone Dragons. “Draconifors!” She pointed at each one and watched as each stone Dragons transformed into real Dragon. This had been a spell that she had only learnt recently and she was kind of proud that she was getting to use it, but she was angry and in pain which wasn’t a great combination. Using her wand, Freya made the stone Dragons attack the Vipertooth. Seeing its challengers, the Vipertooth roared and attacked the other Dragons now in the arena, leaving Albus alone.   
With that sorted, Freya ran over to Albus. “You okay?” She asked, looking at any injuries.   
Albus shook his head, but Freya didn’t believe him, especially when she could see the scrapes all over his body.   
Raising her wand, Freya muttered, “Reparifors,” Her wand glowed and the small wounds that Albus had disappeared without a trace.   
Albus looked at himself and smiled at Freya, grateful that she had helped him. However, he snapped out of it though when he tried looking for the key. “But the key!” He said, looking for it frantically.   
Freya rolled her eyes. “I got it ages ago.” She said, holding the gold key up. She had blacked out when her head hit the wall, but McGonagall’s healing charm had activated the minute she had snapped her neck and had repaired it pretty fast. Freya knew that without it then she would have been dead for sure. Freya had woken up and used the Accio spell to grab the key and that’s when she noticed that Albus was in danger.   
When the audience saw she had the key, they burst into applause, loud cheering and whoop sounds could be heard. The cheering was drowning out the sound of the Vipertooth being taken down by the five stone Dragons.   
Harry sighed in relief, seeing his son was okay made him feel more at ease. Lance was clapping his hands gently and slowly, a passive expression on his face.   
A buzzing sound went off, indicating the time limit had been reached. Freya and Albus looked at the magical clock and saw that it had reached zero. Albus exhaled and fell to the ground, on his butt. The adrenaline had gone and now he was just exhausted. Freya wanted to join him, but she stayed standing, holding the key tightly in her hands.   
Now for the scores;

Renée gave a 6   
Vladimir gave a 7   
McGonagall gave a 7  
Harry gave a 7   
Lance gave a 9 

Freya looked at Lance with a blank expression. But on the inside, she was confused. She and Albus were now in second place, with Alicia and Isaak coming in first and Roman and Ivan in third place. It wasn’t surprising, Alicia and Isaak had the easiest Beast to handle whereas she and Albus had the worst Beast. Freya would easily admit that their performance wasn’t good – but it wasn’t bad either – it was average and that’s why she understood the scores. Just then, a wave of dizziness hit Freya like a ton of bricks. Freya swore under her breath as she looked down. The hoodie that Cordelia had borrowed her was ruined. There was a massive hole in the middle where the Vipertooth’s tail hit her. Freya hadn’t noticed that one of the spikes on its tail had ripped through the material and had spiked her.   
Freya groaned and fell to her knees.   
Albus looked at her, concern in his eyes. “Are you okay?” He asked, moving closer to her.   
Before he could touch her, Freya shakily stood up and hobbled out of the arena. She needed the poison out of her system, now. It was a struggle, especially since Freya was having a hard time breathing and walking at the same time, but she eventually made it to the tent and laid down on the medic bed, where Madame Pomfrey stood waiting. 

HARRY POTTER 

Freya laid on the sick bay bed feeling much better than she did before. Madame Pomfrey had made quick work that that poison inside her. Luckily the poison hadn’t been in Freya too long to do any permanent damage. Madame Pomfrey had quickly left her alone, realising that she wanted some time alone and she was thankful for that. Freya was also thankful for the fact Albus’ family had whisked him away so he couldn’t bother her.   
However, her peace didn’t last much longer.   
“Well done, Freya,” Lance said as he walked into the tent with a smile on his face.   
Freya had no outward reaction, but on the inside, she was groaning. She wanted to be left alone in peace but it looked like that wasn’t going to happen.   
“However, I didn’t see anyone Guarding James.” He said, walking closer to her.   
“Rebecca Singleton took over my position while I was guarding Albus in the Tournament,” Freya answered back calmly.   
Lance nodded his head. “You did a splendid job, Freya.” He said, taking her hand in his and stroking it softly.   
Freya had to stop herself from flinching. She wanted to yank her hand back. She should be used to this treatment by now, he had been doing it for years, but she still hated it. “Thank you, sir,” Freya responded back, almost robotically.   
Someone cleared their throat.   
Freya looked and saw McGonagall standing near the entrance with an impatient expression. “The clue, Mr Johnson.” She said, arching her brow at him.   
Lance frowned and took his hand away from Freya. “But of course. I was just checking on her before anything.”   
McGonagall didn’t look impressed. “And where was your concern yesterday?” She fired back, glaring at him.   
Lance clenched his fists, but he chose to ignore this comment. Clearing his own throat, he looked to Freya and handed her a small golden music box. “As you have obtained the key in the first round, it will give you an advantage, which is to find out a clue for the next challenge.”  
Freya took the small golden box and looked at it. It was smaller than her hand. There also seemed to be a hole where she could place the key. Taking the key out of her pocket, she inserted the key and opened it. The box opened up and a ball of yellow light floated up. 

Make one wrong move and you fall,   
A place where the ground isn’t your friend,   
Where you will need the skill to pass the test.   
This challenge isn’t for the faint hearted or uncoordinated,   
There is no place you can rest,   
To succeed, trust must be built.

The ball of light disappeared back into the box. But Freya still had no clue what the next challenge was.


	10. Chapter 10

One week later 

It had been a week since the Battle of the Beasts and things had calmed down since then. Each pair had three months until the next challenge. Freya had written down the clue before secretly giving Albus the key and the box so to let him hear the clue. Freya still had no idea what the next challenge was going to be, but she wasn’t worried for the time being, the next challenge was quite a while away at the moment and she focused on guarding James again. James had been doing his usual stuff – pranking. But he seemed to be targeting the Durmstrang boys more which frustrated Freya more than anything in the world. It was like James didn’t understand that what he was doing was dangerous and Freya always had to clean up his messes.   
Freya now sat in DADA class. As usual, Katrina and Freya sat together and Cordelia sat at the desk in front of them. Freya felt bored and she didn’t like her teacher in the slightest, she felt nothing but contempt for him. She glared at him when he entered the room with a large grin on his face.   
Teddy cleared his throat. “Today class, we’re going to be learning about the Patronus charm, which is a defensive charm. It is one of the most powerful defensive charms known to wizardkind, the Patronus can also be used as a messenger between wizards.” As Teddy spoke, a piece of enchanted chalk floated up to the board and began writing down what he was saying.   
Freya leaned back in her chair, already bored. She watched James, he looked excited about this lesson. He was grinning in his seat looking quite smug. James had already learnt the Patronus charm from his dad. It was this summer just gone he had learnt it after pestering his dad for ages to learn it. James had always wanted to do the spell after hearing his dad learnt it in his third year.   
“Now, what creature are Patronus’ effective against?” Teddy asked, looking around the room.   
Fred raised his hand. “Dementors!”  
Teddy grinned, “Yes. Five-points to Gryffindor!”  
James and Fred high-fived each other grins on their faces. It wasn’t often they actually gained points. More times than not they ended up with points taken away from them because of their pranks. There were times their pranks did get out of hand but never that bad.   
“There are two forms when it comes to Patronus’, does anyone know what they are?” Teddy asked, smiling at his students. This caused most girls in the class to sigh and stare at him dreamily.   
Frank raised his hand. “They’re corporeal and incorporeal forms.” When people looked at him, Frank looked to the ground, flushing in embarrassment.   
Katrina smiled at him, giggling at his embarrassment.   
Teddy grinned, “Correct, five points to Hufflepuff! Now, today we’re going to be trying the Patronus charm. Don’t be disappointed if you can’t make a corporeal form, even the best Wizards can’t produce one.” He said, sending reassuring looks to everyone. He didn’t want anyone to feel disappointed with the outcome today. It was a hard spell to learn and make it corporeal.   
James’ hand shot up. “Why don’t you show us how it’s done, Professor?” He suggested with a grin.   
Teddy smiled and nodded his head. “Excellent idea James. Expecto Patronum!” Taking out his wand, he cast the spell. Silver light burst from his wand and a medium sized wolf began running around the room. Many students gasped as they looked at the Patronus, even Freya looked mildly interested for a moment. Honestly, Freya wasn’t surprised that his Patronus was a wolf, his father’s Patronus was a Werewolf and his mother’s Patronus was a wolf. After a few more seconds, Teddy cancelled the spell, the wolf disappearing into thin air.   
“Now, it’s your turn,” Teddy said, putting away his wand.   
Everyone stood up and began to have a go at the spell. Most people looked excited to participate, but Katrina and Cordelia looked at Freya. They were almost asking for permission if they could take part. They really wanted to because of how much fun it looked.   
Seeing the looks she was getting, Freya sighed and stood up. “Fine.” She muttered lowly, getting her own wand out.   
Katrina’s eyes lit as she stood up along with Cordelia.   
“To make the spell work, you need to think of your happiest memory!” Teddy explained loudly, making sure that everybody heard him.   
Cordelia took a deep breath and began thinking of a happy memory. “Expecto Patronum!” Silver smoke appeared from her wand and then disappeared. She looked extremely happy, though she did want to know what her Patronus would be.   
Katrina went next. She easily found a happy memory and grinned as she took out her wand. “Expecto Patronum!” Silver light burst from her wand and a Black Mare appeared as it began running around the room wildly. Katrina stared in awe at her Patronus, feeling amazed that she actually produced one in the first place.   
Freya sighed as she readied her hand. For a moment, Freya did nothing as she was trying to find a happy memory but she wasn’t coming up with many. Regardless, Freya did the spell anyway. “Expecto Patronum!” However, nothing came out. No silver smoke or a Patronus.   
Freya frowned and tried again, only to no avail.   
“Freya…” Katrina muttered, looking at her friend sadly.   
Freya scowled and put away her wand. This lesson was stupid anyway. Cordelia and Katrina shared a look but don’t say anything.   
Taking this opportunity, Freya watched the others in the class. Eric was there along with some other Slytherins. The reason Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaws and Gryffindors were together was to create some house unity. There were some classes were all Houses were put together in groups, this was implemented by McGonagall after the Wizarding War so to decrease the animosity there was against the Slytherin House. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy had agreed with this and had pushed this forward in the Ministry.   
Eric also looked like he was having trouble, not being able to cast anything either. He scowled darkly and refused to try anymore.   
Freya’s attention soon went over to James and Fred. Fred had already made his Patronus, it a Spider Monkey. His Patronus was climbing the walls and throwing things on the ground.   
James stood up and raised his wand. “Expecto Patronum!” A ball of light exploded from his wand as a Lion ran around the room. His Patronus by far was the most detailed out of the all the ones that had been cast around the room. The lion roared before disappearing into thin air.   
Teddy cleared his throat. “That’s all for today class, now off to your next lesson!” He announced as everyone put away their wands and left the room.   
Freya, Cordelia and Katrina left the room after packing their stuff up, but Freya stood outside the door alongside Cordelia. They were waiting for James and Fred to walk out. Katrina walked off, waving them off as she watched over Frank and followed him to his next lesson of Herbology. However, when James and Fred didn’t come out, they peeked inside the classroom and saw James and Fred talking to Teddy. They seemed to be talking in hushed whispers. Reaching into her bag, Freya took out some Extendable Ears that she had bought from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. She had followed James into the shop in the third year and saw them. Freya had bought them instantly, knowing that they would be useful. She plugged one end into her ear and pointed the other end into the classroom and listened in. 

HARRY POTTER 

James was ecstatic about the outcome of the lesson. He was one of the only people to produce a Patronus Charm. He couldn’t wait to send a letter to his mum and dad, telling them about the news. Just as James and Fred were about to leave for their next lesson, Teddy stopped them. “Hey, I need to speak to you a moment.” He said, looking excited but nervous at the same time.   
James and Fred looked at one another. “Are you going to write us a note for the next period?” Fred asked with a hopeful expression.   
Teddy sent them an exasperated look. “It won’t take that long, don’t worry.” He said, the smile only growing bigger on his face.   
Fred shrugged, he had tried.   
“What’s up, Teddy?” James asked, looking at him with a curious expression.   
Teddy breathed in deeply. “Well… Victoire’s pregnant.” He said, his eyes lighting up when he remembered her telling him. She had sat him down just yesterday and it was the happiest day of his life. Victoire and he had been trying for a baby for the past year with no results. But hearing this news had made his day, he was so excited to become a father.   
James’ eyes widened and Fred’s jaw dropped. “Congratulations!” James exclaimed, a large grin appearing on his own face. He knew how much becoming a father meant to Teddy and was happy for him.   
Teddy let out a shaky sigh in relief. “You guys are the first we’ve told. We plan on telling everyone soon, we just want to enjoy it at the moment.” He knew the moment his family found out Victoire was pregnant there was going to be a big reaction. Right now, he just wanted him and his wife to have an intimate moment but he couldn’t tell someone the news.   
Fred mock saluted. “Don’t worry, we won’t breathe a word.”   
“But I think you’d best tell Lily. She’d kill you if you didn’t tell her.” James said with a thoughtful expression. Lily and Teddy were always the closest, she was the biggest supporter of Teddy and Victoire when they first got together. If she didn’t get told soon then she would throw a fit and a big one at that.   
Teddy laughed. “I know. Now off you guys go.” He said, shooing them away so they aren’t late for their next lesson. 

HARRY POTTER 

Freya dropped her Extendable Ears in shock. Her eyes were wide and her jaw was dropped. She didn’t even notice when James and Fred walked past her. She couldn’t believe what she just heard.   
Cordelia looked at her. “What’s wrong?” She had never seen Freya look so shocked and out of it before. It really worried her seeing her friend like this.   
“Victoire is pregnant,” Freya whispered softly, coming out of her shock slowly. She didn’t know why she was so shocked. It was only natural, they had got married and now they were having a family of their own. It was almost expected of them, she just didn’t understand why this was affecting her so much when it shouldn’t.   
Cordelia’s eyes widened. “We need to tell Lance, don’t we?” She whispered, a sad gleam in her eyes.   
Freya nodded her head. “I’ll do it. You make sure they don’t get into any trouble.” Freya said before walking away.   
Cordelia wanted to call after Freya to stop her, but she couldn’t do it. She frowned and went after Fred and James with a heavy heart.   
As Freya walked down the empty halls, she felt annoyed. Teddy and Victoire were having a child together, they were creating a family together. The very thought made her bitter and annoyed. It was times like this that really reminded Freya about the differences between Guardians and their charges. They could grow up, do what they want, and become what they want. Whereas Guardians had to follow their charges around until either one of them dies.   
It didn’t take Freya long before she reached Lance’s temporary office. He had demanded an office during his stay here and McGonagall granted him his wish – though it was mainly to get rid of him more than anything because he kept bugging her until she gave in. Harry had gone back to the Ministry until the next challenge though because of how busy he was. Knocking on his door, she waited for his response. When she heard it, she opened the door and closed it behind her, not moving closer until he invited her in.   
Lance looked up and smiled. “Ah, Freya! What a lovely surprise. What can I do for you?” His smile grew bigger as she walked closer.   
Freya sat down. “I’ve found out some news. Victoire Lupin is pregnant.” Even as she said this, she felt bitter, but she made sure to hide it. If Lance even had an inkling that she was bitter then he would want to know why and the results wouldn’t be pretty.   
Lance frowned with a thoughtful expression. “And you’ve just heard this?” He asked, leaning back into his seat.   
Freya nodded her head. “Yes. Edward has just told James and Fred the news a few moments ago, sir.” She said, her face revealing nothing.   
Lance said nothing for a moment. He began writing something down on a piece of parchment and he soon sent it off. He had sent a magical note to someone. Freya sat in silence, not looking at Lance. His silence was actually more disturbing than him speaking. However, neither had to wait too long. Someone appeared in the fireplace and they stepped out. It was Amy Fisher – Victoire Lupin’s third Guardian. Amy was a tall woman of nineteen years with long auburn hair and green eyes.   
Amy nodded her head, “You called, sir?” She asked, her voice polite and even.   
Lance motioned for her to sit down, which she does gracefully. “I’ve been informed of some delightful news. Victoire Lupin is pregnant.” Lance hissed out, his eye twitching in anger. His fingers were twitching for his wand, an act that unsettled both Amy and Freya.   
Amy nodded her head. “I was just writing a report up, sir. I discovered this myself just this morning.” She answered back, her own face revealing nothing of her nerves.   
However, Lance doesn’t look impressed. “Is that so?” He said, his voice sounding airy and disbelieving.   
Nodding her head, Amy reached into her robes and took out a sealed letter. She handed it over to Lance, who swiped it and tore into the letter. He quickly read it, a frown settling on his face. His fingers began tapping on the desk – which was the only sound in the office other than the low breathing of Amy and Freya.   
Freya stealthily looked over at Amy. Amy had been the one to show her the ropes of being a Guardian – she was the one who took her under her wing. Without Amy, Freya probably would have been failed ages ago. Seeing Amy still alive made Freya feel relieved, she hadn’t seen much of Amy anymore because of how busy the older girl was Guarding Victoire. Just then, Freya was snapped out of her thoughts when Amy began shaking, her eye twitching in pain as her body shook. Looking back to Lance, Freya saw that Lance had his wand out and he had activated her Guardian Mark.   
“You should have sent this letter earlier.” Lance hissed softly, glaring at the older girl.   
“I-I’m s-sorry, si-sir,” Amy said through gritted teeth.   
Freya could see the blood on Amy’s hands. Her nails were digging into the palms of her hands to distract her from the pain she feeling, but it didn’t work. Freya looked down at her own palms and saw the scars on her palms. They weren’t going away any time soon but Freya wanted that. Every time she looked at her hands she knew what the punishment was for disobeying Lance – it was a constant reminder and it was keeping her alive.   
Lance sighed before putting away his wand.   
Amy relaxed in her seat, the pain has stopped. Her breathing had become laboured from the pain and there were tremors in her hands.   
Lance stood up. “Excuse me, girls, I must attend to some urgent matters.” He said before leaving the room.   
Once he was gone, the atmosphere in the room became less tense. Both Freya and Amy relaxed, though Freya was still cautious.   
Amy looked at the younger girl. “You told him.”   
Freya nodded her head. “I did yes.”   
Sighing, Amy leaned forward and rubbed her temples with her hands. “You don’t realise what you’ve done.” She stood up and began pacing around the room with a worried expression on her face.   
Freya sent her a confused look. “But you were about to send that letter.” She pointed out, not understanding why Amy was reacting this way.   
Amy shook her head. “You wouldn’t understand, you’re still a child.”   
Freya frowned, she didn’t like being referred to as a child. There were only three years between Amy and Freya. Also, Freya was one of the most mature Guardians that they had. She felt a little insulted that the Guardian who helped her was calling her a child.   
“I was doing my job,” Freya said softly, glaring at the older woman.   
Amy stopped pacing and looked at her, a saddened expression on her face. “Freya, do you realise what is going to happen now?” She asked, her voice low and barely above a whisper.   
Freya said nothing. She actually didn’t know what was going to happen now, but she had a feeling that Amy did. It didn’t look good, based on Amy’s expression and body language.   
“Lance will be trying to find a Guardian for that child,” Amy said softly.   
At that moment, it clicked with Freya. All the ex-Death Eaters had stopped having children now – most of them would be too old to have children. But there needed to be a Guardian for Teddy and Victoire’s baby. This could mean one of two things; either Lance was going to bring innocent people into the program to create a child or he was going to force an existing Guardian to procreate. That innocent child would be brought into this mess, they would be trained from birth to become a Guardian – they won’t have a childhood at all.   
“Crap,” Freya muttered lowly. The guilt was creeping in, she had been the one to tell Lance about the pregnancy.   
Amy sighed and sat back down, slumping into her seat. “This is why I didn’t want you telling him.”  
Freya said nothing and just stared at the ground.   
“He’s more than likely looking for the perfect candidate to become a breeding machine,” Amy said, scorn in her tone.   
Freya’s eyes widened. There were only two older Guardians that were of age: Amy and Logan – Teddy’s Guardian. It was possible that one of them would have to procreate or even both of them. But this was uncharted territory for Freya so she didn’t know. They were all the first generation Guardians and now the second generation of Guardians was beginning already. There was a rule that Guardians couldn’t fall in love, but there wasn’t a rule about procreating for the Guardian Programme.   
The room was silent for a moment. Amy was looking at Freya with a critical look and Freya was looking at her back, meeting her eyes every now and again, but neither one saying anything.   
“You’ve changed so much,” Amy whispered.   
Freya sneered.   
“You used to smile. But now…” Amy trailed off, looking at the younger Gryffindor with a saddened expression. Amy could clearly remember the days when Freya didn’t know what she was doing, but she still had a smile on her face. Amy had only left three years ago but she could see the dramatic change in Freya and she didn’t like it at all. Amy could remember calming Freya down when she was having panic attacks and giving her advice.   
A stormy expression filled Freya’s face.   
Amy sighed. “Your sister would be turning in her grave if she saw you now.”   
Freya bristled. “Well maybe if she wasn’t stupid then maybe she’d still be here.” She hissed out lowly, her fists clenched. She didn’t like her sister being mentioned by people, it was too much of a reminder of what happened. Her sister’s death was like a shadow over her, one that Freya refused to stay under. It was bad enough with her parents constantly reminding her, but now Amy.   
Amy’s eyes widened at her tone. “Freya…”   
“This conversation is over.” Freya stood up and walked out. She didn’t want to hear it anymore and she wasn’t going to put up with it either.   
Amy watched her leave, sighing heavily. 

HARRY POTTER 

Later that day 

It was now night time and nearly everyone was asleep in the Castle. Except Freya wasn’t asleep – she should be but she wasn’t. Freya stood in an empty classroom in the far corners of Hogwarts. She had placed a silencing charm around the room and she had locked the door so no one could enter without her knowing. She was practising the Patronus Charm because she wasn’t satisfied with herself. The fact she couldn’t get the spell right frustrated her and made her annoyed. Usually, Freya was great at spells – she could give Katrina’s dad a run for his money when it came to duelling but she couldn’t do this one damn spell.   
“Expecto Patronum!” Freya yelled for what was the tenth time already. She pointed her wand and watched, but nothing came out. No silvery smoke. Absolutely nothing.   
“Goddammit!” Freya exclaimed, throwing a nearby book against the wall. Her breathing was heard and she was sweating slightly. She was using up quite a bit of magic trying this spell to no avail and her frustration was only draining her magic now. Sighing deeply, Freya sat on a nearby chair. She couldn’t get this spell right, no matter how hard she tried. Freya mentally cursed this spell for being focused on happy memories. Why did it have to be happy memories of all things?   
“Having trouble I see.”   
Freya looked up and saw McGonagall standing at the entrance of the door. She wasn’t surprised to see McGonagall, she was probably the only person who could undo her locking charm. McGonagall was looking at Freya with a blank expression, revealing nothing.   
“I just can’t get it right,” Freya admitted slowly. McGonagall was the one person she could admit this too. Freya didn’t trust many people – a handful at most – but she knew that McGonagall would never exploit her because of this.   
McGonagall nodded her head, walking into the room.   
Freya looked up at McGonagall, “What’s your Patronus?” She asked, looking at her curiously.   
Smiling slightly, McGonagall took out her wand. “Expecto Patronum!” A burst of silver exploded from her wand and a tabby cat appears, running around the room freely. The tabby cat came up to Freya and rubbed its head against her calf.   
Freya smirked slightly, but this one was softer than her usual ones.   
After a few moments, McGonagall dispelled her Patronus, letting the tabby cat disappear into thin air.   
“What were you thinking of?” Freya asked.   
McGonagall laughed lightly. “I was thinking of my late husband. The day he proposed to me by the Black Lake on a walk in Hogwarts.” Elphinstone Urquart and she had been fond of each other for years, but she had been in love with another man. It was only after his death did McGonagall truly realised how much she was in love with Elphinstone.   
Freya frowned. She had read somewhere that Patronus’ is a projection of a person’s most positive feelings and it seemed that love was the biggest factor. When researching, she had found that Snape was the only Death Eater who managed to summon a Patronus and it was Doe – just like Lily Potter’s was. The thought of love disgusted Freya. It was pointless and made people weak as far as she was concerned.   
“Miss Williams, this is very advance magic. You don’t need to worry about it.” McGonagall said.   
Freya shook her head. “I know, but if my parents ever found out…” Her voice trailed off. She didn’t even want to think about what her parent’s reaction would be if they found out she couldn’t do a spell right. It had been drilled into her for years that nothing is acceptable unless it was perfect, anything less wasn’t good enough.   
McGonagall’s gaze narrowed at the mention of her parents.   
Sighing, Freya stood up. “I’ll leave it for now.” She would come back to it another day. She would master it one day, she would make sure of that.   
“Before you go, I would like to add another charm to your pendant,” McGonagall said, her wand still in her hand.   
Saying nothing, Freya brought her pendant out from under her clothes, but never removed it. Once on the show, McGonagall positioned her wand over the pendant and whispered something Freya couldn’t hear. The tip of McGonagall’s wand lit up and engulfed the pendant before it disappeared. Once done, McGonagall put her wand away.   
“I’ve strengthened the healing charm and added a shield charm into it. This should help protect you.” McGonagall said, satisfied with her work.   
Freya nodded her head, “Thank you.”  
McGonagall smiled slightly and motioned with her hands. “Now, off to bed with you.”  
Without saying anything, Freya left the room and headed off to bed.


	11. Chapter 11

One week later 

Freya stood in Lance’s temporary office along with all the Guardians. The Guardians stood a line, depending on their importance. Freya, Rebecca and Connor were at the front of everyone because they were guarding the Potter children, then came the Guardians for the Weasleys, Longbottoms, Scamanders and Malfoys and then everyone else. This was how they always had to stand in front of Lance and no one could break formation unless he commanded it so. Lance had called an unannounced meeting which had caused most Guardians to panic because they’d had no preparation for this meeting and no one knew why Lance was calling this meeting in the first place. Even Freya felt unnerved at this sudden announcement.   
Standing in front of everyone, Lance was looking at his Guardians with a neutral expression, giving nothing away. Clearing his throat, he began to speak. “I’ve called you all here today for a special reason.” He said, sounding calm.   
Connor let out a shaky breath, he was shaking on the spot. Freya saw this out the corner of her eye and inwardly sighed. Rebecca had also noticed this and looked like she wanted to help him, but she couldn’t.   
“I’ve decided that it’s time to teach you the three Unforgivable Curses if you haven’t been taught already,” Lance said, a smile spreading on his face.   
The air in the room became tense. Most young Guardians were holding back gasps whereas the older Guardians didn’t react at all. Freya had already been taught the three Unforgivable Curses by her parents. Her parents would teach her one each summer since she entered Hogwarts. First, it had been the Imperius Curse in her first summer, the Cruciatus Curse in her second summer and the Killing Curse in her third summer. After her third summer, she was forced to practice them constantly. If any other Wizard or Witch were to use any of the three Unforgivable Curses than they would be sent to Azkaban within seconds. However, this law didn’t apply to Guardians, they were exempt from this rule and were actually encouraged to use the three curses. This was another aspect of the Guardians that was hidden from everyone.   
Lance took out his wand. “I will show you each one and then you will copy me.” He said, looking around the room, his smile only growing wider. Lance seemed to glance around the room for a moment before he pointed his wand at one of them. “Imperio!”  
Joseph tensed up and his eyes seemed to haze over. His eyes were now a grey colour and his body seemed to sag slightly. There seemed to be a lazy grin on his face, giving the impression that he was happy.   
Connor was now full-on shaking, his eyes wide in fear.   
Freya watched with a blank expression.   
“Walk forward,” Lance commanded, his wand still pointed at the Ravenclaw.   
Joseph followed his command without any hesitation.   
“Now to the right,” Lance commanded once more.   
Again, Joseph moved to the right with no hesitation.   
Satisfied, Lance dropped the spell and put away his wand, for now. Instantly, the haze over Joseph’s eyes disappeared. For a moment, Joseph looked disorientated before it hit him what happened. Joseph’s eyes widened as he dashed back into formation, but he seemed to be shaking and found it difficult to move immediately. It took him a few moments, but no one was paying attention to him. Everyone was looking at Lance, cautious that he may use one of the Unforgivable curses on them.   
“Now, all of you give it ago,” Lance said, levitating over a Pixie to each Guardian using magic. The Pixies were trapped in a cage where they couldn’t escape. They were screeching and trying to fight their way out of the cage, but Lance had enchanted them so they couldn’t escape at all.   
Freya looked at her Pixie, which seemed to be looking at her with its big black eyes. Feeling nothing, Freya took out her wand. “Imperio.” Without another thought, she cast the spell, aiming her wand at the Pixie.   
The familiar haze appeared over the Pixie’s eyes, just like it had with Joseph and when she’d cast this spell five years ago. When Freya was younger, she didn’t want to cast the spell but she hadn’t been given much choice in the matter. Her father was a very strict teacher and wouldn’t let her get away with anything.   
Lance walked up behind Freya and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Great work, Freya.” He said, his hand tightening on her shoulder.   
Freya said nothing and forced herself not to flinch as his touch. She only felt relief when he took his hand off her shoulders and walked away. Taking this opportunity, Freya looked around the room. Most Guardians had been able to cast the Imperius Curse, but it was younger Guardians that seemed to be having trouble with it. Connor, in particular, looked to be struggling with it. Lucy looked to be near tears and her hand was violently shaking. Freya inwardly sighed. The Imperius Curse was the easiest spell to cast out of the three curses. If they couldn’t manage this one then they wouldn’t be able to deal with the other two, which were significantly worse.   
However, Lance wasn’t giving them any mercy. He walked over to Connor with a frown on his face. “Why haven’t you cast the spell?” He asked, his brow arched.   
The room went silent as everyone was looking at Lance and Connor. Everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch.   
Connor began shaking. “I-isn’t this I-illegal?” He asked in a low voice.   
Freya felt her heart stop for a moment. It seemed that most people had this reaction, some were even looking at Connor in sympathy. Others looked as though they were praying for him. Connor had made a very rookie mistake: questioning Lance.   
Lance laughed, his head was thrown back as the laughter seemed to engulf his whole body. He was acting as though Connor had just told him a funny joke. “Look everyone! We have a volunteer for the next spell!” He looked at everyone, the utter glee on his face. However, Lance stopped laughing and pointed his wand at the Gryffindor. “Crucio!”  
Instantly, Connor fell to the ground and began screaming. He was withering, his body bending in odd and painful positions as the pain overloaded his body. He felt nothing else but this burning pain that coursed through his body.   
Many Guardians looked away. Ryan and Cordelia were two of those people. They looked like they wanted to help, but they knew better. Katrina looked like she wanted to jump in and help, but Alexander was holding onto her hand, preventing her. He was smart enough to know not to intervene and to stop his sister from intervening. Freya watched Connor wither in pain with a blank expression, pushing back any emotion she was feeling at all. Other Guardians seemed to be doing the same – they were desensitised to it by now. Castiel seemed to be one of those people as he watched Connor wither and scream on the ground with a blank expression. Lance seemed to be in a playful mood today, and that was quite dangerous because that meant he was unpredictable.   
Suddenly the screams stopped and Connor’s body seemed to go limp.   
The room was silent, all breathe were held.   
Lance walked over and kicked Connor’s limp body. “He’s weaker than I thought.” He muttered lowly, but everyone heard him.   
“Get to it!” Lance yelled at everyone, walking away from Connor’s limp body.   
Freya watched Connor for a few seconds and saw his chest moving. He was alive and not dead like everybody thought.   
Lucy moved to help him, she was planning on taking him to see Madame Pomfrey. Surely he would need medical attention. Lucy had needed it after her ordeal with Lance in McGonagall’s office – which Castiel had given her.   
“Don’t even think about it!” Lance yelled, throwing a book in Lucy’s direction.   
The book nearly hit Lucy, only she dodged at the last minute, which Lance didn’t see. He had already turned his back and was walking around the room. Lucy looked at Connor’s limp body once more before reluctantly getting back to what she was doing.   
“Everyone who has completed the Imperius Curse move onto the Cruciatus Curse. If not, keep practising.” Lance instructed, weaving himself around the room.   
Freya turned back to her Pixie and pointed her wand at it. “Crucio.”  
Instantly, the Pixie began shrieking as it curled up into a ball. Freya watched it squirm, an uncomfortable feeling building up in her stomach, but she pushed it aside. Soon, multiple little screeches filled the room as other Guardians had moved onto the Cruciatus Curse. After a few moments, Freya stopped the spell.   
Lance stood at the front and watched everyone, before clearing his throat. “Now, the last one: the Killing Curse.”   
Everyone held their breath, even Freya. She was hoping that he wouldn’t use of the Guardians as an example like with Connor. Everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing, some were able to hide their nervousness better than other though.   
“Avada Kedavra!” Lance pointed his wand at Connor’s Pixie. The moment the spell hit the creature, it died instantly, falling to the bottom of the cage lifelessly. “Your turn,” Lance said, looking at everyone with a critical eye.   
It was at that moment that Freya realised the reason for this exercise. Lance was weeding out the weak. If someone couldn’t perform these spells then they would be cut from the Guardian Program in the only way that was known: death. This was another test of Lance’s. Glancing at Connor, Freya felt a sense of dread. He hadn’t even been able to cast the Imperius Curse, he would be seen as weak. She wasn’t surprised though, Connor was only twelve years old. The very thought made her feel angry, but she didn’t show it. She hides her anger behind the perfect mask she had built over the years.   
Turning to her own Pixie, she noticed that it was staring at her. Its big eyes pleading with her not to use the Killing Curse. It knew what was happening, it had seen what had happened to Connor’s Pixie and it had known its fate.   
Taking a deep breath, Freya pointed her wand. “Avada Kedavra.” A green jet of lightning shot out her wand and hit the Pixie. It was dead the moment the spell hit it. It fell to the bottom of its cage, lifeless. Freya felt nothing. By now, Freya had already used the Killing Curse a few times by now. The first time she used the Killing Curse was much worse than now. This time wasn’t as bad because she had no attachment to the Pixie – she didn’t even acknowledge its existence. It was the only way that Freya could handle it.   
Freya remembered that day very clearly. 

Flashback 

A fourteen-year-old Freya stood in the Williams’ mansion. It was summertime and Freya would be heading into her fourth year at Hogwarts. She stood in the Williams’ extensive garden – which was well kept with the amount of House Elves they had around the house. In front of her was her father – Rupert Williams. He was looking at his daughter with an apathetic expression on his face as his wand was drawn.   
“Use the Killing Curse,” Rupert instructed, looking at his daughter.   
Freya shook her head. “No.” She said, a bubble of worry building inside her. She had never told her father no and that scared her. When he asked her to do something, she usually did it without any hesitation because she knew her mother would punish her.   
Rupert sighed in exasperation. “Use it, now.” He glared at his daughter, beginning to become impatient with her.   
Freya frowned. “I won’t do it.”  
“Use it now!” Rupert yelled, having enough of her resistance. His hand clenched in anger as he quickly tried to calm himself down.   
Freya whimpered slightly, her father never usually yelled and when he did it was scary. She turned and looked to the family House Elf. Topaz had always been there for Freya when she was younger – this House Elf was much more of a friend and mother than Vivienne. Freya looked at Topaz and found her smiling at the younger girl – she had already accepted her fate, she knew she had no choice in the matter.   
“It’s okay.” Topaz smiled at her young mistress, hoping to reassure her. However, nothing she did help to reassure Freya.   
Rupert glared at Topaz. “Who said you could speak?”  
Topaz said nothing and looked to the ground.   
Freya turned to her father. “Father, please don’t make me do this.” Freya whimpered, tears beginning to form in her eyes. She was hoping that her father wouldn’t make her do this, maybe he would be nice for once.   
However, luck was not on Freya’s side.   
“Freya Louise Williams, if you do not do this spell I will go and get your mother.” Rupert glared at her, the threat loud and clear.   
Freya’s eyes widened in fear. Her father was scary when angry, but her mother was beyond terrifying.   
Shakily, Freya turned to Topaz and held out her wand. She took a few deep breaths, the tears falling down her face. “I’m sorry.” She whispered, looking at her House Elf with regret. She was hoping that Topaz would understand that she didn’t want to do this.   
Topaz smiled and closed her eyes.   
“A- Avada Kedavra!”  
Topaz dropped to the ground – lifeless.   
The sound of Topaz’s lifeless body hitting the ground broke Freya, it was a sound that would ring in her ears even years later. Freya dropped her wand as she began to sob. Falling to her knees, her sobs became loud and heavy. She found it hard to breathe as she began gulping in air. Regret instantly filled her, she should have fought back against her father. She shouldn’t have done the Killing Curse. All Freya wanted at that point was for Topaz to come back and hug her – tell her that everything was a joke or that Freya had missed. Freya didn’t want this day to be real, she wanted it to be a nightmare that she couldn’t wake up from.   
Hearing footsteps, Freya looked up and saw her father in front of her. He did nothing to comfort his crying daughter, just looked at her and stared, a sneer of disgust on his face at her display of emotion.   
“W-why di-did yo-you m-make m-me do th-that?” Freya sobbed, finding it very hard to even speak. She was speaking and the hiccupping at the same time.   
Rupert frowned. “The world you’re in harsh. You will be forced to worse things than this.”   
“Even worse than killing the only person who cared for me?!” Freya yelled out, anger filling her very being. Hearing her father say this made her angry. Freya had been forced to kill the one person who had been there since birth and had practically raised her. Topaz had always been there to comfort her in the night when she scared, Topaz would always be there in the mornings to greet her with a smile and Topaz was there to sing lullabies when Freya couldn’t sleep at night.   
Rupert didn’t say anything and watched his daughter cry.  
“I hate you,” Freya whispered, still crying.   
“Good, use that feeling,” Rupert said, walking away. 

End Flashback 

Freya was soon snapped back into reality when Lance clapped his hand to get everyone’s attention. He was standing in front of everyone again, a large smile on his face. Freya quickly scanned the room and saw that most Guardians had accomplished the tasks. Nearly all the Pixies were dead, and only a few remained.   
Lance smiled, unsettling a lot of people. “I am feeling nice today, so I’m going to do something I don’t usually do. I’m going to give the people who didn’t complete all three tasks today to have another chance.”  
The room was silent. There seemed to be a consensus of disbelief and shock. Freya looked at Lance, feeling utterly confused. He had never done this before, never. Lance never gave anyone second chances, it was something that was well known in the Guardians community.   
“However, if by next week you fail, then the results won’t be pleasant,” Lance warned with an almost feral smile on his face.   
Freya looked at Connor, Lucy and Katrina. They were the only three that weren’t able to perform all three spells. Freya wasn’t shocked that Connor and Lucy didn’t manage it – since Connor had only just become conscious and was barely standing on his own. Freya also wasn’t shocked to see Katrina as one of the few people that couldn’t do it. There was no way that Katrina could actually kill another creature – it’s something she’d never be able to do.   
“No one is to know about this, that is an order,” Lance said, looking at each and every one of the Guardians.   
Freya felt her Guardian mark burn, he had given his order.   
“Dismissed,” Lance said, waving his hand. 

HARRY POTTER 

Later that same day 

Freya and Cordelia sat in the Gryffindor Common room reading while sitting on the two-seater sofa in front of the fire. Fred and James were in the boy’s dormitory doing their work for once. It was the beginning of their NEWT years and they were very busy with homework that was due in. Freya had already completed hers to an average level and had submitted it without anyone seeing. There were times that Frey didn’t even see the point in her doing work as she could never show her true potential and it wasn’t like she was working towards a job. She was going to be a Guardian until the day she died – something she had learned to accept over the years.   
Cordelia sighed, looking at the fire with a frown.   
Sending her side glance, Freya didn’t say anything. She knew that if Cordelia wanted to say something, she would come right out and say it like she always does.   
After a few more moments of reading, Cordelia sighed again.   
“Stop sighing, it’s annoying,” Freya commented dryly, turning the page on her book. Freya had picked a habit up from Katrina – reading Muggle fantasy books. They were really interesting and it was an escape for Freya. It wasn’t often she got to sit and read because she was constantly watching after James, and she didn’t appreciate that her reading time was getting interrupted.   
Cordelia’s face dropped even more. “It’s just… today's lesson….”  
Freya inwardly sighed and page marked her book. “Was that the first time?” She asked, putting the book away to give Cordelia her full attention.   
Cordelia nodded her head. “It was horrible.” She muttered lowly, bringing her knees up to her chest. She didn’t want to use the Killing Curse on that poor Pixie – but it was either its life or hers. Her parents had never forced her to learn the Killing Curse. They were pretty relaxed about her training – her parents understood that Cordelia didn’t need to be perfect and would help her if she needed it. They never pushed her to do anything she didn’t want to do.   
Freya said nothing, choosing not to comment. She just looked into the fire, a frown marring her face as she remembered Topaz with a grim expression. Using the Killing Curse on the Pixie didn’t make her feel anything. Freya knew that she should probably feel something for the dead creature, but she felt nothing.   
Just then, the Gryffindor common room door opened. Connor walked in, his eyes scanning the room. He was looking for someone and he found that person very quickly. His eyes landed on Freya as he dashed over to her. Connor stood in front of Freya, waiting for her to acknowledge him. He waited for a few moments as Freya had gone back to her book and wasn’t paying attention to him. Connor cleared his throat, but it still didn’t gain her attention.   
Cordelia grinned weakly and nudged Freya to get her attention.   
It worked. Freya looked up at him, “What?” She asked dryly, not liking the fact she had been disturbed twice now.   
Connor inhaled deeply. “I-I need your help.” He asked, almost timidly.  
“Not interested.” Freya denied, looking back to her book.   
Cordelia sighed and looked at the younger Gryffindor. “I can help you.” She offered with a kind expression.   
Connor shook his head. “No, I want Freya to help me.”   
For a moment, Cordelia frowned but wasn’t hurt at all, actually she understood why he was asking for Freya. Cordelia had only been a Guardian for one year whereas Freya had been one for five years and was very good at her job. Instead, she laughed and nodded her head. She looked in Freya’s direction and nudged her again. “Come on Freya, he needs your help.” She said, a teasing grin on her face.   
Freya exhaled roughly. “Why me?” She asked, looking at Connor with a blank expression.   
Connor blushed, “B-because I want to be like you.” He muttered softly.   
Freya frowned. “No, you don’t.” Freya couldn’t help the bitterness that came out with her answer. She didn’t want Connor to be like her – no one should be like her.   
Connor was about to object when James and Fred ran out of their dorms with grins on their faces. Without another word, Freya stood up and walked away. She didn’t look at him as she passed, she pretended he wasn’t even there.   
Standing up, Cordelia looked to the disheartened Connor. “Sorry kid.” She said with a sad smile before rushing after Freya.   
It didn’t take long for Cordelia to catch up with Freya. “Why didn’t you help him?” Cordelia asked, looking over at her with a curious expression. Usually, Freya didn’t object to helping the younger Guardians, especially when they had the guts to come and ask her, face-to-face. Cordelia was one of the people Freya helped, it was because of that Cordelia really did look up to Freya.   
“He wants to be like me,” Freya said lowly.  
Cordelia sent her a confused look. “What’s wrong with that?” Freya was the person nearly everyone looked up to. In the Guardian world, Freya had been the longest Guardian to survive, so everyone wanted to be like her. People wanted to know what her secret was to getting this far.   
Freya sighed. “Everything is wrong with that statement.”

HARRY POTTER 

James and Fred stood at the corner of the Great Hall with large grins on their faces. They had failed to prank the Durmstrang boys on their first day and they were making up for that mistake. James and Fred had been looking at everything, trying to understand why the last prank they tried to pull didn’t work. Every prank they had ever done usually worked and had always gone off flawlessly so it was irritating. But now, they had perfected it. In the Great Hall, everyone was congregating for lunch, but James and Fred had other plans.   
“Now,” James whispered to Fred with a grin.   
Fred’s grin grew wider and they both take out their wands and waved them.   
The Great Hall seemed to explode. All the food in front of the Slytherin’s and the Durmstrang boys seemed to explode onto their faces. Many people began screaming trying to get the food off their faces while the other tables began laughing. Hufflepuffs who had been caught in the crossfire began using their fingers to wipe food off their faces and eating it – still looking pretty content. However, many people who got food in their hair were not so happy.   
“JAMES! FRED!” Albus shouted out, he was covered in food and looking pissed.   
Scorpius was looking at himself in disgust, he was also covered in food.   
“Mr Potter! Mr Weasley!” McGonagall shouted, looking highly annoyed. She was standing from her seat in front of everyone. Renée looked disgusted in everyone whereas Vladimir seemed to find this prank absolutely hilarious. He was pointing at his own students and laughing at them.   
Fred fell to the ground from laughing so hard, his face red.   
James was also laughing, but he stopped when he saw something from the corner of his eyes. Turning his head, he saw a girl walking closer to him. She appeared tall with dark brown hair and stormy grey eyes. The girl walked past him and into the Great Hall, smelling like strawberries. His eyes widened as he was about to shout after this girl who had walked into the Great Hall, but he was interrupted.   
“Run!” Fred shouted, running away.   
James turned his head in time to see McGonagall walking their way. Seeing this, James bolted and ran after Fred, quickly catching up with him. As James ran, he couldn’t help but think of the girl he had seen. For a moment, his memory went fuzzy, but James wasn’t letting go of this memory. It seemed very familiar to him and he didn’t know why. Just as the memory was about to fade, James fought back, clinging to the memory for dear life. He wanted to remember that girl and he refused to forget her.


	12. Chapter 12

Connor was stood in the Chamber of Secrets, practising the Three Unforgivable Curses. But it wasn’t going well in the slightest. Lance has given him a Pixie that was locked in a cage and he expected it to be dead. It had taken him four days, but Connor had managed to finally cast the Imperius Curse, though it did take a lot of concentration to perform it. However, the Cruciatus Curse and the Killing Curse was something he wasn’t able to get his head around. There just seemed to be something blocking him from attaining his goal.   
“Why can’t I do this?!” Connor yelled out, his voice echoing within the Chamber of Secrets. The deadline was drawing closer and he was still hadn’t conjured the other two spells. He knew Lance wasn’t going to happy about this, which only made Connor feel nervous and filled him with panicky. Connor hadn’t been in the Guardian Program long, he only just started earlier this month. But he had been trained by his parents because he was Lily’s backup Guardian that would be called into duty if one of the main Guardian dies.   
A voice spoke up behind him. “You don’t have enough conviction.”   
Connor shot up from his kneeling position and turned around to see who spoke. He hadn’t heard anyone approach him so the unexpected voice nearly made him scream out in shock.   
Freya stood at the entrance of the Chamber, watching Connor. She had been there for a while, observing him. Freya had spotted him sneaking out of the Gryffindor Common room and she had grown curious when she noticed that this was the fourth day in a row he had done this. She had a feeling that he was going to end up here and she was right. This was the place many Guardians would come if they were struggling with a spell. This Chamber was soundproof and very hard to access, making it the perfect spot.   
“What?” Connor asked, a confused expression on his face.   
Freya rolled her eyes. “I’m not repeating myself.”  
Connor frowned, “Well how do I gain conviction then?” He asked, looking at the older Gryffindor with his head tilted to the side. He was feeling hopeful that she would help him. It had really disappointed him when she turned him down the first time.   
Sighing, Freya walked further into the Chamber, her footsteps barely making any noise as she walked. “You don’t want to use the Unforgivable Curses. Your morals are conflicting with one another.” She explained and stopped when she is side to side with Connor.   
“I have a conviction!” Connor exclaimed, mildly offended.   
Freya looked at the Pixie – which was still very much alive and not in any pain – and then looked back to Connor. “Then explain your Pixie.”   
Connor immediately shuts up and looked at the ground.   
“As a Guardian, we don’t have the luxury of morals. We are told to do what Lance says and that’s it.” Freya explained, her face void of any emotion. It was a depressing lesson, but one every Guardian nodded to learn eventually. If a Guardian didn’t learn this quickly then they wouldn’t survive very long. Katrina was an exception because she had people to protect her. Freya protected Katrina, along with Katrina’s father.   
Connor looked at the Pixie, all emotion dropping from his face.   
“However, hatred is a useful emotion to use in this case.” Freya pointed out, remembering her own experience. Her father had told her to use that hatred that she had for him in her training and she had. As much as she hated to admit, her father’s words were actually helpful. Every time she cast one of the Unforgivable Curses, she thought back to Topaz. If that didn’t work, she thought of her sister. Those memories always gave her enough conviction to cast any spell because she didn’t want to end up like either of them.   
A thoughtful expression crossed Connor’s face. Soon, a thunderous gleam appeared in his eyes, his body became tense and his jaw clenched. Connor took out his wand and pointed it at the Pixie. “Crucio!”  
Immediately, the Pixie began screaming in pain. Its little cries echoed throughout the Chamber of Secrets. After a few seconds, Connor dropped the spell in disbelief. He had performed the spell, but he didn’t know how to feel about it. He had to cause another creature immense pain otherwise his own life would be jeopardy. Seeing that she had done her job, Freya said nothing as she turned around to leave the Chamber of Secrets. Originally, Freya didn’t want to help him and she was still reluctant. It was only because Cordelia had told Katrina what happened and she practically forced Freya to go help him that she was even here.   
Connor turned back around because he wanted to thank Freya. She had really helped him with the spells. But when he did, he found that he was alone in the Chamber of Secrets. He wanted to shout out, but he knew it wouldn’t work, she wouldn’t come back. 

HARRY POTTER 

Later that same day 

It was now lunch time and everyone was sat at the large tables, enjoying their dinner. Freya was eating slowly, watching everything around her. The Great Hall had just recently been cleaned by James and Fred without magic because of the little prank they had pulled. The Durmstrang boys weren’t used to prank of the devious twosome so they didn’t know it was them. As a result, the Durmstrang boys had blamed each other and had caused them to fling the destroyed food at each other.   
Cordelia sat next to her, chowing down on her food. “You helped him then?” She asked, only taking a small break in-between her eating.   
Freya nodded her head. “I had no choice, remember.” Freya glared at Cordelia accusingly. If Cordelia hadn’t gone to Katrina than Freya would have been left in peace. Instead, Katrina actually lectured Freya saying that she needed to help those around her.   
Smiling, Cordelia said nothing and goes back to eating.   
Looking down the table, Freya saw Connor. He seemed to have a pleased look on his face and he was eating heartily. She knew that Connor had taken her advice and it had been successful. There was no way he would be eating so happily any otherwise. There were times were Freya could tell when Guardians were stressed and it always became obvious when they were eating. The Guardians that were stressed had a tendency to under-eat and only pick at their food. It was either that or they would miss meals all together and not even show up – which happened very rarely.   
“I take it you helped Lucy then?” Freya asked while looking over to the Hufflepuff table where Lucy sat. Lucy seemed to also be content as she ate heartily.   
Cordelia nodded her head. “Yeah, it took a while though.” At first, Lucy didn’t want to accept help, but she soon realised that she needed it.   
“Now, we just need to help Katrina,” Freya said with a sigh in her tone. Trying to convince Katrina to use the Three Unforgivable Curses wasn’t going to be easy. From what Freya had observed, Katrina had managed to use the Imperius Curse but she didn’t cast the other two, which wasn’t surprising to Freya at all.   
Cordelia’s face contorted, she looked unsure of whether or not Katrina would even accept help.   
Just as Freya was about to get back to her meal, she noticed something out of the corner of her eyes. Turning her head, Freya saw Courtney Lily – who happened to be James’ most annoying fangirl – walking up to James, throwing her hair back and looking straight at James with a predatory smile on her face. Freya sneered, girls like Courtney annoyed her. The ones that felt like they were self-entitled to everything and acted like a spoilt brat when they didn’t get their own way. Courtney’s dad worked in the Ministry with Harry Potter. Courtney’s dad wanted her and James to get together because her father was just as greedy and wanted his name attached to the Potters. Spotting a vial in Courtney’s hand, made Freya more alert. Looking closely, Freya saw that it looked like a love potion. Taking out her wand, Freya muttered a spell lowly.   
Courtney was just in front of James when Freya’s spell took effect. As Courtney went place her right foot down, magic then pulled at her left one, making her fall to the ground with a shrieking squeal. She landed hard on the ground and the small vial fell out of her hand. Courtney’s friends rushed around her, helping her up.   
“Accio vial,” Freya muttered lowly. The vial flew into Freya’s hand. No one noticed as people were watching Courtney, struggling to get back up, even with her five friends all helping her. Looking down at the vial, she saw that it was indeed a love potion. It was the Amortentia potion, the most powerful love potion in existence. Freya easily recognised it from its mother-of-pearl sheen. They had covered love potions in the fifth year and this wasn’t the first time someone had been trying to slip the Amortentia potion in James’ food or drink. It was because of this that Freya had one Elf in the Hogwarts castle protect James’ food and drinks before they’re brought in, after that it was Freya’s job to protect him.   
Cordelia noticed the vial and her eyes widened. “Is that?”   
Freya nodded her head grimly. “It looks like I’m going to be having a little chat to Courtney.” She hissed lowly clutching the vial in her hands tightly. There was nothing that annoyed her more than people being that desperate enough to actually use the Amortentia potion to get someone.   
Lunch soon ended after that incident and everyone was leaving to either go to the next lesson or have a free period. At the moment, James had a free period and so did Freya. Freya watched at James left the Great Hall and then spotted Courtney. She was alone because she was heading back to the Ravenclaw Tower, so Freya knew this was the perfect chance. Freya kept back a distance as she shadowed Courtney. Freya was waiting for the right moment to strike so she just watched. It was only when Courtney was near the Ravenclaw Tower and it was deserted that she made her move.   
Taking out her wand, Freya muttered lowly. “Stupefy.” A jet of blue light shot out from Freya’s wand and it hit Courtney on her back. Courtney crumpled to the floor, landing on her face with a loud smack. Walking over to the unconscious girl, Freya checked her pulse just in case. There had been times were Freya would put too much force behind this spell, so she had to be careful. Seeing that she was fine, Freya pointed her wand at Courtney once more as she muttered a spell. Using her wand, Freya made Courtney levitate. Looking over her shoulder once more, Freya saw no one and levitated Courtney to an abandoned classroom, where there would be a lesson for the next hour or so.   
Once inside the room, Freya used her magic to place Courtney on the ground, not too gently. With that, she turned around and pointed her wand at the door. “Colloportus.” With that, no one would be able to get into the room until Freya cancelled the spell. However, Freya wasn’t done, using her wand again, Freya muttered a spell, making the room soundproof.   
Now satisfied, Freya turned to Courtney and pointed her wand. “Stupefy.” She stepped back, into the shadows so she couldn’t be seen by the Ravenclaw. This particular room had one little window, making the room very dark without the light on. This classroom was hardly ever used so Freya took full advantage of that and tended to use this room quite often.   
Courtney jolted awake, looking around the room with a scared look. “W-what happened? Where am I?” She asked, quickly standing up and looking around the room.  
“You are an idiot,” Freya said, staying back in the shadows. She found that this seemed to scare people more rather than her revealing herself to them.   
Courtney whirled around, trying to find the voice, but she couldn’t see anything. “What do you mean?” She asked, hesitating for a moment.   
“Does this look familiar?” Freya said, throwing the vial at Courtney.   
Courtney clumsily caught the vial and her eyes widened. She threw the vial away from her, trying to get it far away from her. “T-this isn’t mine!” She exclaimed, looking scared. For good reason to. It was illegal for students to make and give Amortentia to another person. If Courtney was found out, she would be expelled.   
“You’re not a very good liar, Courtney Lily,” Freya commented dryly.  
“Who are you? I could have you expelled for falsely accusing and kidnapping me!” Courtney yelled, anger beginning to shine in her eyes.   
Freya smirked.   
Courtney dug into her robes, reaching for her wand.   
But she was beaten to the punch. “Accio wand.” Freya cast her spell quickly, watching as Courtney’s wand flies into her open hand. Freya could have easily taken her wand when Courtney was unconscious, but Freya had wanted to see if she would fight, and Freya couldn’t resist the sadistic side of herself of wanting to see Courtney helpless.   
Courtney’s eyes widened when she realised her wand was gone. Fear crept into her eyes as she began shivering. “W-what do you want?” She asked pleadingly, her eyes darting quickly around the room.   
Freya smirked, she had Courtney exactly where she wanted her. “Your infatuation with James Sirius Potter is annoying. You are to leave him alone, and never bother him again.” Freya instructed calmly. James had many admirers but Courtney annoyed Freya more than any of them. Courtney had been around since the first year when people had very high expectations for James to be exactly like his dad. She would try and cling to him and bully other girls if they even glanced at James for more than five seconds. As far as Courtney was concerned, James was her property and that angered Freya.   
The scared expression on her face soon morphed into defiance. “And why would I do that?” She asked with a sneer, her voice becoming shrill.   
Without another word, Freya had her wand pointed at Cordelia. “Everte Statum.” Light blasted from Freya’s wand as Courtney was thrown back into a nearby wall with a lot of force. Courtney cried out in pain and crumpled to the ground.   
Courtney struggled to get up. “S-someone will hear me! Then you’ll be in trouble!” She spat out, anger in her eyes. She was looking around the room frantically because she still didn’t know where Freya was.   
Freya smirked, “Not with a silencing charm. I’ve also locked the door so no one will be coming to help you for at least the next hour.”  
The smug look in Courtney’s eyes instantly dropped and fear soon replaced it.   
“Will you leave him alone?” Freya asked once more.   
Courtney looked unsure and didn’t say anything for a few moments. “…Okay.” She whispered softly.   
Freya nodded her head, satisfied. “Try anything like that again, and you will regret it,” Freya whispered lowly, only serving to frighten Courtney. Before Freya left the room, she used the Accio charm and summoned the vial of Amortentia before undoing the charms around the room. She also dropped Courtney’s wand once she was outside the room. With that done, Freya walked away, listening to Courtney sobbing loudly. 

HARRY POTTER 

Three days later 

All the Guardians were assembled in Lance’s temporary office once more. The air was slightly tense as Lance stood in front of everyone. Today was a little different from Lucy, Connor and Katrina stood in front of everyone. Lance had placed a new Pixie each in a cage in front of them as they were to show that they could perform the Three Unforgivable Curses in front of everyone. This was a way to prevent anyone from cheating by getting someone else to do the curse for them. Freya would be lying if she said she hadn’t already considered that for Katrina but she knew it wouldn’t work. Freya and Cordelia had been trying to talk to Katrina, but she always managed to slip away, it was because of this that Freya felt nervous for Katrina.  
Lance cleared his throat, bringing Freya out of her thoughts. “You may begin.” He said, his face revealing nothing.   
Connor stepped up first and he took out his wand. “Imperio.” A haze washed over the Pixies eyes. Connor then made the Pixie move around them in the cage, which it does without any resistance. After a few seconds, he dropped the spell. Connor sighed in relief when he saw that he had managed to cast the spell successfully.   
Katrina took a deep breath and pointed her wand. “Imperio.” Just like with Connor’s Pixie, its eyes clouded over and it relaxed. Katrina made the Pixie move up and down before cancelling the spell. Katrina didn’t look happy at all, she was looking at the Pixie and silently apologising to it.   
She took a deep breath, Lucy stepped up and pointed her wand. “Imperio.” Just like the other two, the Pixie’s eyes washed over with a haze. Lucy made the Pixie fly up and down before cancelling the spell. Out of all three of them, Lucy looked the most likely to cry.   
Nodding his head, Lance spoke. “Now, the next one.” He said, his face and voice revealing nothing. No one could tell if he was satisfied or dissatisfied with their performance.  
Without another word, all three Guardians manage to use the Cruciatus Curse. Three little screams filled the room as the Pixies began rolling down at the bottom of their cage in pain. Lucy was the first to cancel the spell as she was near tears and she couldn’t keep it up anymore. Katrina dropped the spell next because she couldn’t handle the screams anymore. Connor followed shortly afterwards looking very unsettled.   
Freya inwardly sighed, they were nearly there. All they had to do was correctly perform this last spell and they were done.   
“Next,” Lance said, watching the Guardians with an intense look.   
Taking a deep breath, Connor went first. “Avada Kedavra!” A green jet of light blasts from his wand and hits the Pixie. Instantly, the Pixie fell to the bottom of the cage, lifeless. By the end of it, Connor was shaking visibly, guilt shining in his eyes.   
Lance smiled at him. “You pass, Connor Jones. You may join everyone else.”  
Grinning weakly, Connors went back into formation, besides Rebecca and Freya. Connor looked at Freya, looking for reassurance that he did okay. Freya nodded her head in acknowledgement, feeling relieved that he did pass. Connor’s eyes lit up, a smile spread on his face. He turned his head back to face the front, the smile still on his face.  
Katrina was the next one up. She was looking at the Pixie, guilt already shinning in her eyes. She didn’t want to do this but she had no choice. “…Avada Kedavra.” Katrina looked away, not wanting to see the Pixie die. But she heard the sound of the Pixie falling to the bottom of the cage and that didn’t sit well with her.   
Lance nodded at her. “Katrina Thompson, you pass. Go and join your fellow Guardians.” He said, smiling at her.   
Sighing deeply, Katrina quickly took her spot amongst everyone. Alexander was smiling at her, happy to see her pass. He knew how hard it must have been for his older sister. Whereas Freya felt conflicted. She was happy for Katrina to pass, but Freya didn’t like the fact she had to perform the Killing Curse in the first place. This was a part of the Guardian programme that Freya never wanted Katrina to witness or be a part of.   
Now, all the attention was on Lucy. Lucy took a deep breath in and shakily raised her wand. She opened her mouth to perform the spell, but the words don’t come out at all.   
Cordelia’s eyes widened, feeling nervous all of a sudden.   
“Is that a problem?” Lance asked, arching a brow. He was becoming impatient, which was never a good sign.   
Lucy immediately shook her head. “N-no!” She turned back to the Pixie, her wand raised and pointed at it. She opened her mouth to cast the spell again, but like before no words came out of her mouth. Lucy realised that she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t kill the poor creature.   
“I can’t do it…” Lucy whispered softly.   
The room went deadly silent. It was at that moment that every Guardian held their breath.   
Freya’s face showed no outwards reaction but she felt her stomach drop. Quickly, Freya glanced at Lance to find him glaring at Lucy with fury in his eyes. His jaw and hands were clenched so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. This was not going to end well at all, and everyone in the room knew that.   
“And what not?” Lance asked with a clenched jaw.   
Lucy turned to look at him. “It’s an innocent creature! I can’t kill it and I won’t kill it!” She yelled at him with defiance in her eyes.   
Lance glared at her. “Are you defying me?” He was silently giving her a chance to reconsider her answer, which Freya and many older students understood. However, the younger Guardians seemed to miss this sign.   
Nodding her head, Lucy yelled. “Yes!”   
Freya inhaled sharply, already knowing what was coming next. Lucy wasn’t the first to make this mistake and she wasn’t the youngest either. All the older Guardians grimaced, as they too already knew what was going to happen.   
Within seconds, Lance had reached into his robes and pulled out his wand. “Avada Kedavra!” A jet of green lightning shot out from his wand and hit Lucy dead in the chest. Lucy fell to the ground, lifeless. The sound of her body hitting the ground echoing in the room.   
Lance glared venomously at Lucy’s body before looking up. “Let this be a reminder that if anyone defies me, this will be your fate!” Lance yelled, his face flushed red in anger. With nothing else to add, Lance dismissed them all so he could dispose of Lucy’s body.   
Every guardian walked out of the room in silence. No one said anything to anyone. Freya ignored everyone and went to find James without saying a word. Everyone did the same thing and just got on with it. This was a normal thing to happen if anyone defied Lance. Lance didn’t excuse the fact Lucy was only twelve years old and had killed her nonetheless. 

HARRY POTTER 

The next day 

Early next morning, Freya stood in the Quidditch Pitch once more, watching James as he made the team run around the field. From her viewpoint, Freya could see all the other Guardians but they couldn’t see her. She had found this spot in the First year when James had joined the Quidditch team. It was an enclosed space that provided a lot of privacy as it was hidden away from nearly everyone and only a certain number of people knew about it. From this point, Freya could see Cordelia and Connor chatting away and all the other Guardians present. However, Freya was alone because she didn’t want to deal with anyone that day – Lucy’s death still fresh in her mind.   
Hearing footsteps approaching, Freya didn’t turn her head. She instantly recognised Ryan’s magical signature as soon as it was in range. Ryan walked closer until he is side-by-side with Freya and for a moment, he didn’t say anything.   
“What do you want?” Freya asked dryly, not looking at him. Her attention was solely focused on James and watching him. He had now made his team get on their brooms and were flying around the field. James had never fallen off his broom in all the years she had been guarding him because he was a natural at the sport. But Freya had to intervene once or twice when a third party would try and sabotage James’ game.   
“I take it we’re not talking about what happened last night,” Ryan said grimly.   
Inwardly, Freya sighed. “There is nothing to speak about.” She had learnt that over the years it was best to ignore some things. This was something that Amy had taught her back in her first year when she was getting too emotional over a Guardian being killed by Lance.   
Ryan frowned and looked to the ground.   
“You didn’t come here to chat about last night, so spill or leave,” Freya said bluntly, her ice mask perfectly in place. She did not want to deal with people today at all, she was finding that her temper was shorter than usual. She wanted nothing more than to be left alone and not even Katrina could bring her out of this mood.   
Ryan looked around cautiously before taking out his wand. “Silencio.” With this spell, he had ensured that no one could listen to their conversation.   
This time, Freya turned to face him. He had gone to the extent of placing the silencing charm around them, meaning that he really needed to tell her something important.   
“I’ve been feeling weird lately.” Ryan began, looking uneasy.   
Freya threw him a disgusted look.   
Ryan flushed in embarrassment. “Not like that! There’s been a feeling in my head since this year has started. I’ve been feeling uneasy, like something bad is going to happen.” He whispered softly, biting his lip.  
Freya nodded her head slowly, waiting for him to continue.   
“I have also been having these weird dreams… but I can never fully remember them.” Ryan sighed, running a hand through his hair. Every night since the beginning of the year, he had been getting these dreams and every time he woke up, he couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Ryan felt like something bad was going to happen. Lately, it had been getting worse and it was now disturbing his sleep. He was lucky to even get two hours sleep a night.   
“What can you remember?” Freya asked in slight interest.   
Ryan frowned and thought for a moment. “You, you’re always in them.”   
Freya looked at Ryan, her gaze narrowed. There was something about this that really unsettled her, but not as much as Ryan already was. When Freya looked at Ryan properly, she could see the dark bags under his eyes. He was paler than normal and he looked slightly thinner. However, these things weren’t that noticeable, it was only because Freya had known Ryan so long that she noticed these things.   
Suddenly, Ryan’s face contorted in pain as he fell to his knees, holding his head with both his hands. Freya’s eyes widened slightly as she kneeled down beside him. “Ryan, what’s wrong?” Freya asked, holding onto Ryan. For a moment, Freya began to feel nervous because she had no idea what was happening to Ryan.   
Ryan gripped her hand tightly before he relaxed and stared into space. His eyes glaze over until his iris’ and pupils couldn’t be seen. “…A mighty foundation stands, but one person has the power to bring it crumbling down … This person has now a heart surrounded by ice, but a fire shall thaw that frozen heart…This girl must un-weave the web of lies that surrounds her and then the mighty foundation will fall… only then will she be free…”  
Ryan closed his eyes and opened them once more. They were back to normal and he was no longer tense. Ryan looked around. “Why am I on the ground?” He asked, looking at Freya. He was shocked to find himself in her arms.   
“Ryan… you’re a True Seer…” Freya whispered in shock.   
Ryan’s head snapped up to look at Freya. “… What?” He couldn’t believe what he heard. His great-great-grandmother was a True Seer, but no one knew. It was well-kept a family secret from everyone. But no one else in his family was one, it was a fact that everyone kind of ignored now.   
“Was this the first prophecy you have given?” Freya asked, intrigue in her eyes. She had never met a True Seer before because of how rare they are. Freya didn’t believe that Sybill Trelawney was a True Seer, in Freya’s eyes she was trust a crazy woman who had the occasional lucky guess.   
Sitting on the ground for a moment, Ryan took a moment to collect himself. “I think so, yes.” He said, after thinking about it carefully. He had noticed that now his head didn’t feel as heavy any more, it was like a weight had been lifted off him.   
“We need to tell Lance,” Freya said, standing up.   
Ryan shot up, “No!”  
Freya looked down at him. “You know what he’ll do to you if he finds out?” She asked, sending him a warning look. She didn’t want to tell Lance, but if it meant protecting Ryan then she was willing to do it.   
Frowning, Ryan looked to the ground. “I know. But I don’t want anyone else to know. I trust you, Freya.” He muttered softly, sending her a pleading look. Lance was the last person he wanted to know this secret. Ryan knew that Lance would just use him and it was already bad enough being a Guardian.   
Freya was silent for a moment, just staring at Ryan and his pleading eyes. But she soon sighed and nodded her head. “Okay, I won’t tell him.”  
Ryan sighed in relief.   
“But remember to come to me if you ever feel like that again,” Freya told him, not wanting him to go through this alone.   
Ryan nodded his head, a grateful expression on his face.


	13. Chapter 13

One week later 

It was Halloween and Freya was on edge. It seemed as though she wasn’t the only one though. The whole Potter family was slightly sombre because this was the day their grandparents, James and Lily Potter had died protecting Harry from Voldemort. However, Freya was unnerved for another reason altogether. Halloween had never been a pleasant holiday for Freya because something bad always happened on this day – it could be small and then it could be disastrous. But it was because of this unwanted tradition that Freya had come to hate Halloween. However, Freya felt as though she could breathe a bit easier because Lance wasn’t in the castle, he had gone back to the Ministry to sort out some matters. He wasn’t specific but he said he would be back the next day. Freya had a feeling that Lance was sorting out another Guardian for Lorcan Scamander.  
It was in the afternoon that Freya had called a Guardian meeting. All Guardians were now present in the Chamber of Secrets, standing in formation with Freya standing in front of everyone. It had been well over a month since Freya had given Castiel and Katrina the assignment of tracking Eric. Now, Freya wanted the results.   
Freya cleared her throat. “What have you found?” She asked, looking at them both.   
Katrina went first. “I’ve found out that he is a Muggleborn and is from a quite poor background. His parents divorced and he currently lives with his dad – who doesn’t treat him very nicely. He has absolutely no relation to Voldemort from what I’ve found.” Katrina commented with a sad frown. Finding out his past had made Katrina feel more sympathetic towards him, and in a way, she could understand his bitterness. But that didn’t mean she agreed with his behaviour.   
Freya nodded her head and then looked to Castiel.   
“I’ve found that he’s quite the loner in Slytherin. He dislikes Purebloods with a passion and anyone who is wealthier than his own family.” Castiel explained clearly.   
Nodding her head again, Freya spoke. “And what of the Seventh years he was speaking to?” She asked, not leaving any detail untouched. If Eric was in cohorts with the Seventh years then there is a possibility that he had asked one of them to place Albus’ name into the Goblet of Fire.   
Katrina frowned. “It would seem that the Seventh year he was talking to was a distant family member, but they don’t get on.” Katrina had watched their interactions and they weren’t very friendly. Eric would taunt his older cousin for being in Hufflepuff and usually, the cousin would ignore the taunting. However, the cousin’s friends didn’t sit back and would stand up for their friend.   
Ryan looked thoughtful. “From the sounds of it, Eric is just jealous of the Potters,” He said, turning to face Freya.   
Cordelia nodded her head in agreement. Other Guardians seemed to think the same thing as no one spoke up to say they thought any differently.   
Freya agreed with him. “It would seem so. What are your opinions?” Freya asked looking to Katrina and Castiel. She wanted to know what they thought on the matter itself since they were the two people observing him.   
“He’s not Voldemort’s spawn, just an angsty teenager who has anger issues,” Katrina said, being very frank for once. However, she had a smile on her face, making her words and facial expressions contradict one another.   
Freya smirked, mentally agreeing with her wording. With that, she looked over to Castiel and awaited his answer.   
“I still think there is a possibility,” Castiel said with a thoughtful expression.   
Cordelia groaned loudly. “Will you give it up? Katrina was the one who did the background check on him, not you.” She said loudly, sending him a pointed look.   
Castiel turned around and glared at her.   
Before a fight could break out, Freya spoke. “And what do you suggest we do then, Castiel?” Freya asked, arching a brow. He was usually all talk and no bite, so she wanted to see what he would do if actually given the opportunity.   
Castiel turned back around, looking slightly surprised. Usually, his ideas were shot down and in all honesty, he didn’t think he’d get this far. Clearing his throat, Castiel spoke. “I think we need to interrogate him.”  
“Then we’ll take a vote,” Freya said, surprising Castiel even further. “Everyone who is against interrogating Eric Payne raise your hand.” Freya raised her voice slightly so everyone in the room could hear her.   
Cordelia, Katrina, Connor, Ryan, Rebecca and quite a few others raised their hands. There were only four hands that weren’t raised and Freya wasn’t surprised. Those four hands belonged to Castiel’s group of Guardians: Joseph, Miles and Simon. Castiel, of course, didn’t have his hand raised and he glared at everyone who did have their hands raised. He had been trying to work his way with the other Guardians to get them on his side, but unfortunately for him, they were still loyal to Freya and not him.   
Freya nodded her head. “Then it’s decided, we’re not interrogating him.” She felt like this was very fair as everyone had decided and it wasn’t just her. Freya had also done this on purpose so Castiel could see that people didn’t agree with him and wouldn’t side with him. She had noticed that he had got the younger Guardians on his side and that was because most of them didn’t know him like the older ones did. When Castiel didn’t get his own way, he would try and intimidate people. However, a group vote would prevent that chance from happening.   
“That’s unfair!” Castiel yelled out, his face contorted in anger.   
Freya looked over at him, an apathetic expression on her face. “I think you’ll find that was very fair.” She arched a brow at him, silently challenging him. Freya had expected this reaction and Castiel didn’t disappoint.   
Castiel sent her a furious look, his eyes met hers in a challenging manner. Freya’s eyes narrowed and her magic pulsed, sending him a silent message to back down, now. He had felt the silent cue which made his face flush red because he knew he wouldn’t win. Castiel didn’t like being defeated, especially not by Freya.   
“If you want to continue investigating him, then you’re more than welcome to Castiel.” Freya offered him as a small smirk grew on her face. She was mocking him, but she couldn’t help it. Freya found his temper fun to play with because of how short his fuse was.   
Castiel flushed slightly as other Guardians began sniggering around him. Having enough, Castiel stormed out of the Chamber of Secrets, with his followers running after him.  
“Dismissed,” Freya announced, letting everyone go. It was nearly dinner time and she sensed that some of the Guardians were becoming fidgety. Freya was actually feeling hungry herself and wouldn’t mind getting some dinner now. Immediately, people began leaving the Chamber of Secrets, walking off in their own little groups. They travelled to where their charges were, which was mainly in the Great Hall at this point. Katrina, Ryan and Cordelia travelled over to Freya, all of them sniggering.   
“You’re a tease Freya,” Ryan said, a smile on his face.   
“I know! Did you see his face?” Cordelia snorted loudly as she threw her head back. There was just something so satisfying about seeing Castiel get his nose rubbed in it.   
Freya smirked but said nothing. They all began walking to the Great Hall to get some dinner. However, the unsettling feeling in her stomach didn’t go away, no matter how much she tried not to think about it.   
Just then, Connor ran up to them, pure panic on his face. It was only when he saw Freya did he relax slightly, but not much. He stopped in front of them, out of breath and shaking violently. “F-Freya!” He yelled out, stuttering slightly.   
Freya stopped and looked at him, waiting for him to continue.   
“What is wrong Connor?” Ryan asked, looking concerned. He and Connor were cousins – distant ones but they were still family. He hadn’t seen his cousin this unnerved in a long time and that concerned him.   
“G-Gretchen Thomas is missing!” Connor exclaimed out, finally getting out what he needed to say. He had seen Nina Marks having a breakdown near the Great Hall, heavily crying and sobbing her heart out. When he had seen this, he knew that he needed to tell Freya because all the Guardians there were on the scene were also panicking. Connor knew that Freya would be able to sort things out, she had that aura of a leader around her.   
Freya’s eyes widened slightly. “Where?” She demanded, stepping closer to Connor.   
“N-near the Great Hall,” Connor said in one breathe, still trying to get his breath back from the running he had done. He was also trying to get his heart rate back to normal and under control.   
Without another word, Freya dashed to the Great Hall at a quick pace. Having to keep up with James for years had done wonders for legs, also having longer legs made her a faster walker. Sometimes she would have to jog after James because he was always rushing around and she needed to stay close by. Freya would also have to jog in the mornings around Hogwarts because James had picked up the habit in the second year. It didn’t take her long to reach where Nina was. It was quite a few feet away from the Great Hall, but it was close enough where it could cause a commotion, especially since Nina was loudly sobbing. Freya heard footstep behind her and knew that it was Katrina, Ryan, Connor and Cordelia close behind her.   
“You three, secure the area. Now.” Freya commanded sternly as she only turned her head slightly. She had kept her eyes trained on Nina, who was rocking back and forth on the floor, sobbing.   
Nodding their heads, they rushed off to make sure no other student had access to this area. Each Guardian had the memory charm in their pendant but this was just a precaution and it would stop McGonagall from intervening too as this was Guardian business.   
Freya marched over to Nina – who was curled up into a ball on the floor. Nina was a petite little Guardian of fourteen years. She was a Hufflepuff that Katrina had taken under her wing to help. Nina has long blonde hair and brown eyes, but her eyes were red from crying and bloodshot.   
“Nina, tell me what happened?” Freya asked, her voice softer than moments ago.   
Nina looked up at her and her sobs grew harder. Nina looked away and buried her head in her lap. She couldn’t look at Freya at the moment without sobbing. She was too ashamed to admit what happened to Freya – someone who was regarded as perfect in their community. Nina also couldn’t help but feel afraid of the older girl.   
Sighing lightly, Freya turned to Georgia Hutton – Roxanne Weasley’s Guardian and Nina’s friend. “What happened?” She asked, more forcefully. She didn’t see the need to act nice when Georgia wasn’t as emotional hysterical as Nina.   
Georgia looked at Freya with wide eyes. “A black shadow came out of nowhere and took Gretchen.” She whispered, still in shock in what she had seen. Georgia almost didn’t know if what she had just seen was actually real, but Nina’s reaction had chased away any doubts that she had.   
Freya frowned and mentally cursed to herself. A black shadow was the exact same thing described at the kidnapping of Caitlin Finnegan by Kyle. In his trial, Kyle had described that when he looked back at the mirror he placed in the Finnegan household. Kyle had seen a black shadow appear and grab Caitlin and then disappear as if it was never there. It wasn’t proven to be Death Eaters until the black shadow was mentioned because that’s how they supposedly travelled.   
“Did anyone see anything?” Freya demanded, she needed to know if anything else had to be reported.   
Georgia shook her head frantically. “No, I walked by just as Gretchen was being taken away.” She said honestly. She had seen Gretchen being flown out of Hogwarts with the black shadow and she had seen Nina break down. No one else was present, but Guardians had made their way over, wondering what was happening. No one else had seen the kidnapping other than herself and Nina. The only reason other Guardians knew what happened to Gretchen was that Nina had begun shrieking and shouted out like a mad woman.   
Freya stood up, having heard enough for now. She had enough evidence to know what to do next, and it wasn’t something Freya was proud of. She turned to the younger Hufflepuff. “Nina Marks, you are hereby under arrest for neglecting your charge,” Freya said, her voice blank of any emotion. She had no choice in this matter, she had to arrest Nina. Gretchen had gone missing when Nina was right behind her and didn’t protect her charge.   
Nina screamed loudly in anguish, sobbing even harder. She knew what this meant, Nina knew that she was going to die.   
Taking out her wand, Freya spoke. “Accio wand.” Nina’s wand flew out of her robe pocket and into Freya’s outstretched hand. The one thing a Guardian had to do when arresting someone was to remove their wand. Pointing her wand again, Freya spoke. “Incarcerous.” Ropes appeared from her wand and wrapped itself around Nina’s wrists, binding her so she couldn’t escape.   
As Freya led Nina away, she spotted Castiel standing not too far away. He was standing there with wide eyes, he looked shocked and horrified.   
“Write a letter to Lance, now,” Freya demanded, glaring at him. She was waiting to see if he would try and fight against her like he always did. However, Freya was surprised when Castiel nodded his head sombrely. Turning around, Castiel went to inform Lance of what just happened. With that sorted, Freya led a sobbing Nina down to the Dungeons. 

HARRY POTTER 

Later that same day 

It was now night time and nearly everyone was asleep. Except for a certain group of people who were still awake. All the Guardians stood in Lance’s office in their formations. However, today was different. Lance was sat at his desk, with Nina sitting on a chair next to him. Castiel had sent off the letter and Lance had responded back almost immediately and arrived back in Hogwarts. Lance had spoken to everyone involved separately, trying to work out what happened. After that, he had spoked to Nina privately and now they were having Nina’s trial right here and now. Usually, one would be done in the Ministry but Lance had labelled this as an emergency.   
Lance stood from his seat. “We’re here today because a crime has been committed. Nina Marks has neglected her charge and now she is missing!” He exclaimed, sending Nina accusing stares.   
Nina had not stopped crying since her arrest. She was slumped in the chair with tears still running down her face. She looked absolutely terrible – her hair messy, eyes bloodshot and her face puffy and swollen.   
“Nina Marks had committed something unforgivable. She neglected her charge and now Gretchen Thomas is missing! Aurors have spent hours searching and have come up with nothing.” Lance said as he paced around the room with an unhappy expression.   
Freya watched on, saying nothing. She had given her side of the story – which wasn’t much. She had tried speaking to Nina alone, but Freya couldn’t get anything out of the younger girl. She was too hysterical at this point. Freya knew how much Lance hated Auror intervention in his Guardian program because there was always a risk that they would find out more than they should. Aurors were the one group of people Lance couldn’t wipe the memory of because they were now trained in resisting memory charms – something that had seriously agitated Lance.   
“Nina Marks, what is your plea?” Lance demanded as he glared at the younger girl.   
Nina looked up, her lip quivering. “It’s not my fault!” She exclaimed out, more tears falling from her face. How was she meant to know this would happen? There was nothing she could have done, the dark shadow was too quick. One minute it was there and the next it was gone. It had taken Nina more time to realise what had actually happened.   
The temperature in the room dropped by several degrees.   
“It’s not your fault?” Lance icily mocked, his gaze filled with fury.   
Freya inhaled sharply, this wasn’t going to end well.   
“Don’t you tell me it’s not your fault?!” Lance yelled, raising his wand and waved it in a complicated motion. The tip of his wand turned a red colour as he activated Nina’s, Guardian Mark. Nina fell to the ground, withering and shouting in pain. Lance had activated it to the second highest setting – any higher and it would instantly kill the Guardian. It was designed as a deterrent for the Guardians to not say anything. If they tried, it would hurt them and get progressively worse if the Guardian continued to resist. However, if anyone tried to fight through the pain, the last level would kick in and kill them. Nina screeched and rolled around on the floor. A putrid smell wafted around the room, and Freya realised that it was the smell of urine, Nina had soiled herself from the pain.   
After five minutes, Lance stopped the spell. Nina relaxed her body and she curled into herself as if to protect her from any more pain. She was twitching violently from the torture she endured.   
“What is your plea?” Lance demanded, his tone icy.   
Nina whimpered softly.   
Lance raised his wand once more, ready to use the same spell.   
“G-guilty!” Nina yelled out, holding her hands out, shaking. She couldn’t go through it again, once was bad enough. She hadn’t even noticed that she had soiled herself as she was in far too much pain. One of the worst parts of the Guardian mark was the lingering after-effects.   
Lance lowered his wand with a satisfying smile. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?” Lance turned away from Nina to face the rest of the Guardians. “She has admitted to her sin, you have all witnessed that.”  
Freya’s face portrayed nothing. But on the inside, she was rolling her eyes at Lance. He had tortured the answer he wanted out of Nina. But no one was allowed to comment on that otherwise they would be in the same position as Nina.   
“Nina Marks, you have broken one of the most important Guardian rules. But you have admitted to your sins, so I will be reliant.” Lance said, his tone much softer than before. Giving Nina a false sense of security.   
Nina looked up at him with a hopeful expression.   
Lance took out his wand. “Avada Kedavra!” A jet of green lightning shot out and hit Nina in the chest. The effect was instant; Nina fell limp to the ground – lifeless.   
The room was silent as everyone stared at Nina’s lifeless body. Some Guardians couldn’t bear to look. Freya stared at Nina’s open lifeless eyes with a blank stare. Nina was only fourteen years old and had just recently become Guardian, but she didn’t live very long. This was a very common theme and one that didn’t look to be stopping anytime soon.   
Lance cleared his throat. “I expect nothing but perfection from now on. Do you understand me?” He hisses lowly, his narrowed gaze sweeping over every Guardian in the room. He seemed angrier than before because this was the second person to openly defy him within the last two weeks. With a wave of his hand, Lance violently dismissed everyone, not even looking at them as he did. He seemed to be far too angry.   
As everyone silently left Lance’s office, Freya noticed that something was wrong with Ryan. He had a look of despair in his eyes and his body was hunched over. He walked out of Lance’s office like a zombie and seeing him like this unsettled Freya immediately. Seeing this, she followed close behind him, watching him bump into people in Hogwarts and nearly into a wall or two. Ryan didn’t seem to be paying attention to anything around him which was very unusual for him. After following him for a few minutes, Freya had enough and sped walked closer to him and grabbed him by his arm. Ryan didn’t even react when Freya began dragging him to a dark corner of the Hogwarts’ Castle.   
“What’s wrong?” Freya asked, but only after she cast a silencing spell around the area so no one could overhear them.   
Ryan slowly looked up, “…Nothing.” He muttered slowly, almost slurring his words.   
Freya was silent for a moment and stared at him at blankly. “It is because of Nina’s death?” She asked, having a feeling that this would be the reason. All the Guardians had just witnessed someone being killed by Lance again. It was an understatement when this would get to Guardians and cause many breakdowns.   
Ryan’s lips began to quiver. “I-I should have been able to predict it…” He whispered softly, tears beginning to form in his eyes. He was a Seer, he should have been able to see Gretchen being taken away. He should have been able to predict it. Maybe if he had, Nina would still be alive. It was all his fault.   
Freya frowned, she stared at Ryan with no emotion in her eyes. Freya raised her hand, swung it down and slapped Ryan across the face. She didn’t use enough force to knock him to the ground, but enough to bring him out of his zombie-like state.   
“Get over yourself. True Seers predict prophecies, not glimpses into the future. There is no way you could have done that.” Freya sneered at him, hoping that her words would resonate with him. Not very much was actually known about Seers because of how rare they are, but it was a known fact that they only predicated prophecies.   
Ryan slowly brought his hand to his cheek – which was bright red from Freya slapping him. “But…” He tried to argue.   
“Do I need to slap you again?” Freya arched a brow at him as she slowly raised her hand again. She was very much prepared to slap him once more if it meant he would understand.   
Ryan immediately shook his head. His cheek stung like hell, he certainly didn’t want Freya to slap him again, once was enough. “No! I’m fine.” He muttered the last part and looked at the ground. He was anything but okay in all honesty. It seemed like everyone around him was dying and it was happening at a much faster rate.   
Freya watched him for a few seconds before she nodded her head and lowered her arm down. She didn’t usually resort to physical violence – she much preferred using magic. But if it meant she could get through to him then she was willing to do it.   
“I just don’t understand. Why doesn’t someone just… you know…” Ryan made a motion with his wand, the one used when performing the Killing Curse. He couldn’t say it out loud. Even with the silencing spell around them, he didn’t want to risk anyone listening in because he had just mentioned treason – something that Lance would not tolerate. Ryan did begin to wonder what would happen if the Killing Curse was used on Lance.   
For a moment, Freya didn’t say anything, but her eyes hardened. “You know why we can’t.” She hissed lowly, her hand traced her Guardian mark on the back of her neck harshly. Each Guardian mark was laced with Lance’s magic – that’s what kept the mark functional and it meant that every Guardian was linked to Lance in some way. If a Guardian were to turn on Lance and use the Killing Curse to kill him then the mark would activate and act as a self-destruct button. This was Lance’s fail-safe, so that if anyone finds out about the Guardians or kills him, then his secrets would be taken to the grave.  
Ryan didn’t say anything either. He already knew the answer as to when he was first inducted for the position he was informed. His mother had stressed to him the consequences of disobeying Lance and made sure to scare him away from that. But in this moment, that was all he could think about.  
“If it would make you feel better, why don't we get you help to use your powers,” Freya suggested slowly, feeling unsure for a moment. Freya didn’t want Ryan going into himself like he had just now. Ever since he had discovered his powers a week ago, he had been second-guessing himself when something bad happens – blaming himself. Today had just been a particularly bad day. The only issue was, Freya had no idea who he could get training from.   
Ryan’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. “That’s a great idea! But where?” He asked, his tone thoughtful. He began thinking about who could help him. Ryan remembered that his great-great-grandmother had a diary hidden somewhere in the house, it was practically a family treasure. But he had never been interested in it before and he didn’t want his parents to become suspicious.   
However, there was one other person…   
“No,” Freya said immediately, already knowing who Ryan thought of.  
Ryan sent her a pleading look. “Oh come on Freya! She’s my best hope that this point.”   
Freya rolled her eyes. She knew that Ryan wanted to go see Professor Trelawney. She was the only ‘Seer’ in the Castle, but Freya didn’t believe it in the slightest. However, Freya would admit that Trelawney may be the best option. She was also easily accessible as she was only in the North Tower which wasn’t very far away.   
Eventually, Freya nodded her head and sighed lightly. “Fine. Tell me how it goes.” She said as she took down the silencing charm. With that done, Freya turned around to walk away. However, she didn’t get far. Freya stopped when she felt Ryan grab her arm. Freya flinched but turned to him, only for Ryan to quickly withdraw his hand.   
“Sorry,” Ryan muttered lowly, flushing. Inwardly, he was berating himself. He had actually grabbed Freya’s arm. In all honesty, he was scared to have offended her in any way. Ryan knew how much Freya disliked anyone touching her.   
Freya looked at him with an arched brow, “What is it?” She knew he wouldn’t just grab her for nothing. Ryan knew how much she detested anyone touching her, and he had done so.   
“W-will you come with me?” Ryan asked nervously, his gaze locked on the ground.   
She stared at him for a moment before she smirked. “Fine,” Freya said, walking in the direction of the North Tower.   
Ryan’s eyes lit up and he quickly rushed after her, not wanting to be left behind. 

HARRY POTTER 

It didn’t take long to reach the North Tower. Freya and Ryan stood in Trelawney’s classroom, looking around. There were at least twenty small, circular tables were crammed inside the room, all surrounded by chintz armchairs and fat little pouffes. Everything was lit with dim, crimson light; the curtains at the windows were all closed, and the many lamps were draped with dark red scarves. It was stiflingly warm, and the fire which was burning under the crowded mantelpiece was giving off a heavy, sickly sort of perfume as it heated a large copper kettle. The shelves running around the circular walls were crammed with dusty-looking feathers, stubs of candles, many packs of tattered playing cards, countless silvery crystal balls and a huge array of teacups. Further ahead, there was another door and that door leads to Trelawney’s room. Trelawney had a tendency to stay in the North Tower because she didn’t like to interact with many people who she believed to be ‘non-believers’. Many people avoided the Divination teacher because people either saw her as a fraud or weird.   
“Do you think she’s in?” Ryan muttered lowly, looking nervous.   
Freya opened her mouth to say something, but she sensed a magical signature behind her. Instinctively, Freya drew her wand, ready to fight it necessary.   
“Of course I am here.” A voice echoed behind the two Guardians.   
Ryan jumped in surprise and turned around. Freya also turned around to see Trelawney looking at both of them, her wide and curious eyes hidden behind her massive glasses. Freya didn’t like the way Trelawney was looking at her, it made Freya tighten the grip she had on her wand. Ryan was staring at Trelawney with wide eyes since he hadn’t noticed she was there.   
“So, you’ve finally arrived,” Trelawney said slowly as she walked closer to the two Guardians. She stopped when she was a few feet away. Trelawney had noticed that the girl had a hostile aura around her and knew to approach the student with caution. However, the boy was the one who interested her.   
Ryan looked bewildered by her comment.   
“And how would you know?” Freya asked, looking sceptical.   
Trelawney smiled at her, “The tea cups told me.”   
Freya’s eye twitched at this response. She mentally cursed Ryan for bringing her here and she cursed herself for agreeing to come here in the first place. Freya wholeheartedly agreed with McGonagall when she believed that Trelawney was a fraud.   
“I-I was wondering if you could help me,” Ryan asked, getting back to the matter of hand. He could see that Freya looked unhappy and he knew he needed to move the conversation on before she did something.   
Trelawney looked at him and smiled. “Of course, you want training?” She asked as she tilted her head to the side.   
Ryan nodded his head. “Yes. I want to be able to control them.”   
Trelawney shook her head. “Then I am afraid I cannot help you. Visions cannot be controlled. They must be allowed to come freely.” She said, her tone almost breathless.   
“Then what can you do?” Freya asked bluntly.   
Trelawney stilled for a moment, seeming to ignore Freya’s words. “But, I can teach you the ways of a Seer.” She said as she sent a reassuring smile at the young child’s direction.   
Ryan nodded his head. “That would be great.”   
Freya sighed, having had enough of this situation. “Good luck.” She whispered into Ryan’s ear before leaving. The smell of the room was beginning to give Freya a headache and she refused to be near that woman. There was something about Trelawney that unnerved her.   
Ryan looked like he wanted to protest, but he held back. Instead, he turned his attention back to Trelawney.


	14. Chapter 14

A few days later 

Freya sat in the library, sitting at a table not too far away from James and Fred. James was studying for his NEWTS – which wasn’t that rare of an occurrence. Even without Freya’s help, James did tend to get good grades. However, Freya was happy to see James studying because it meant that she got a break and didn’t have to focus as much because he wasn’t doing much. Cordelia sat next to her, looking very bored. Cordelia didn’t like the library and she was lucky that Fred didn’t spend much time there. At their table also sat Katrina and Ryan, who were reading. Ryan was reading a book in Seers while Katrina was reading a muggle romance novel.   
Cordelia looked ready to fall asleep when she suddenly sat up. “Have you worked out the riddle yet?” She asked in a hushed whisper.   
This caught the attention of nearly everyone on the table. Freya’s next challenge wouldn’t be until December – which was a month now as they were November. However, Freya had been looking at the clue she was given and nothing was coming to mind. It was a bit frustrating but it wasn’t bothering her too much at this point. She still had time to figure it out.   
Shaking her head, Freya replied. “Not really.”   
“Well, why don’t we all look at it? Four minds would be better than one.” Ryan suggested, but then looked at Cordelia with a smirk. “Well maybe three heads.”   
Cordelia glared at him and kicked him from under the table, hard. Ryan winced in pain, Cordelia’s kicks really did hurt. But it was always funny poking fun at Cordelia because her reactions were always funny. Cordelia and Ryan had a funny relationship – it was almost like a sibling relationship because those two would constantly argue with one another if left with each other for too long.   
Katrina placed her book down with a smile. “That’s a good idea, Ryan. That way we can help Freya.” It wasn’t very often that they got to help Freya with anything, so Katrina wasn’t going to let this chance pass by.   
Freya said nothing as she reached into her bag and took out the piece of parchment she was had used to write down the clue. She always kept it with her, just in case she got an idea or something. She had been looking at it in her free time – which wasn’t much. Lance had been so much harsher on them all since Nina’s death because now he was watching everyone’s movements like a hawk. Most Guardians could see Lance’s owl – Atlas, patrolling the area too.   
Freya looked at the parchment once more and read it aloud to everyone at the table.  
“Make one wrong move and you fall,   
A place where the ground isn’t your friend,   
Where you will need skill to pass the test.   
This challenge isn’t for the faint hearted or uncoordinated,   
There is no place you can rest,   
To succeed, trust must be built.”

The group sat in silence for a moment, thinking about what it could be. Cordelia was chewing the bottom of her lip, Katrina was tapping her fingers on the table, and Ryan was constantly moving his mouth as if trying to formulate the words. Freya sat and stared at the piece of parchment, trying to think. The library was the best place to come for this, but Freya didn’t know who long she would have here before James decided to move.   
“Could it involve quicksand?” Cordelia suggested, her finger slowly tapping her chin in thought.   
Katrina and Ryan shook their heads. “I don’t think it’s that,” Katrina said after some thought. She could see the reason behind Cordelia’s reason, but it didn’t really fit the rest of the clue.   
Cordelia frowned but nodded her head. “Yeah, I was just kind of throwing it out there.” She said with a sheepish grin.   
“I think the challenge will be in the air.” Ryan pointed out after a few moments of silence.   
Freya nodded her head, she had thought that too. It would make sense and would coincide with the first two lines of the clue. If it was in the air and Freya fell, she certainly wouldn’t like the ground because it would seriously hurt her. If the challenge was really in the air then Freya would need a way to manoeuvre in the air. However, she was unsure of whether or not she could use a broom. Whatever the case, Freya knew she would have to find alternative ways just in case she couldn’t use a broom.   
“Last time the Triwizard Tournament happened, the second challenge involved water. It would make sense to do the opposite of last year.” Cordelia said, nodding her head in agreement with Ryan. She thought that his idea was definitely better than hers.   
Katrina frowned, “But does Freya know how to use a broom if that is the case?” She asked, looking at the other Gryffindor of the table.  
Freya nodded her head. “I know the basics.” In her first year, she was taught how to use a broom, but she had nothing since. Freya knew that she would need a refresher session before the next challenge. She didn’t want to make a complete fool of herself or cause herself harm. But that was only if they were allowed to use brooms and it was even a flying challenge, to begin with.   
Cordelia nodded her head slowly.   
“I’m worried about the fourth line, about it not being for the faint-hearted,” Katrina said, looking at the parchment with concern in her eyes.   
The table went silent once more. Freya wasn’t very concerned about that line. In reality, none of the challenges for the Tournament were for the faint-hearted. These challenges are do-or-die and Freya had no intentions of dying anytime soon. Absentmindedly, Freya reached out and grabbed her pendant, remembering how McGonagall had placed that healing charm in the piece of jewellery. Without it, Freya knew she would have got off worse in that first challenge than a few scrapes and bruises. She had felt her spine crack and heard it. Sometimes, she still hears the sound in the back of her mind because she realises how terrifying the outcome could have been.   
“What could be worse than dragons?” Cordelia said, shivering at the mention of them. If she and Fred had been in the situation, she didn’t know what she would have done. Cordelia was terrified of the thought of Fred trying to approach a dragon. Fred was known for being spontaneous so she wouldn’t have been able to predict the outcome, but Cordelia knew it probably wouldn’t have ended well for her or for Fred.   
Ryan rolled his eyes at her comment. “What about trust, that seems to be a big issue with the next trial.” He pointed out, his brows furrowed in thought.   
“That one may be tricky,” Freya admitted with a frown. How could Albus and Freya trust each other when they don’t know one another? Freya knew she wouldn’t be able to do it; trust didn’t exactly come easily to her. She also wasn’t sure on Albus’ magical capabilities since she was unfamiliar with him and his talents. Freya only trusted a handful of people and she even found that hard.  
Just then, Freya noticed a friend of James’ run into the library. She recognised him instantly because of his bright ginger hair – it was more ginger than the Weasley’s hair. He ran over to James and whispered quickly into his ear. Freya watched James’ facial expression morph from indifferent to annoyance in seconds and this alarms Freya to the fact something was going down. James shot up from his seat and stormed out the Library with Fred looking around with a very confused expression. Without another second to spare, Freya stood from her seat and sped walked after James. She ignored Katrina and Cordelia’s shouting her name, Freya was far too focused on James and keeping up with him. She was nearly running with how quickly James was walking. However, it didn’t take James long to reach his destination. It was outside Hogwarts in the courtyard, there were a group of students circled around two people in particular.   
Albus and Roman stood in the middle of the circle. Roman had an angry expression on his face and Albus looked slightly nervous. Both of them had their wands drawn and Albus was watching Roman with uncertainty. The air around them was tense and seemed it would snap at any moment.   
Freya stopped when James did. He had stopped outside the circle, his tall height giving him the advantage of being able to see over everyone’s heads. Freya also had a good view too, as it was mainly the younger years that were gathered in the courtyard. The older students were still in the building but were just looking out the open windows. They were the smart ones as they were still inside and not outside in the bitter cold.   
“What’s happening?” Connor asked, looking up to Freya. When he had seen her running, he had followed her. Also, Lily was in the crowd too so he wasn’t disobeying any orders by being here.   
“Just watch,” Freya answered, watching everything unfold. She had only just arrived herself, but she did have a feeling she knew what this was all about.   
Back in the middle, Roman glared at Albus. “I’ll give you one last chance boy.” He growled lowly, his wand trained on the younger Slytherin.   
Albus frowned. “I already said no, do you not understand?” There was a sarcastic bite to his words, one that made Freya smirk.   
Noah slowly approached Freya. “It would seem that Roman is after the clue that was given after the first challenge. He’s already targeted Alicia and Isaak and they also refused.” He said, watching everything with a bored expression on his face.   
Freya smirked, she had expected something like this. Roman and Ivan were the only Champion and Shield to not receive the clue. It was no wonder Roman was after it. Roman didn’t want to lose like they had in the last challenge – they were in the last place at the moment. However, it did strike Freya as odd that Roman didn’t target Albus first because he was the younger one. Looking to the side, Freya saw Ivan standing close by with an exasperated expression on his face.   
“Has Ivan helped Roman at all?” Freya asked Noah, but not looking at him. Her eyes were focused on James.   
Noah shook his head. “No. He’s tried to hold Roman back, but that didn’t go so well.”   
After this was said, Freya looked at Ivan closely. He had a large bruise on his face and his knuckles looked bruised too. Freya’s gaze then turned to Roman – who was also sporting a black eye and bruised knuckles. It would seem that Roman didn’t take to kindly to Ivan trying to hold him back. However, it was nice to see that Ivan wasn’t as much of a brute as Roman. Having two of them against Albus would have definitely created a problem.   
“Why is he acting so violent?” Connor asked with a worried expression. He hadn’t seen much violence and therefore wasn’t used to it. Lily didn’t cause much conflict. Ever since the incident with Eric, no had bothered Lily and she had been quiet since.   
“He’s panicking. The second challenge is closing in and he’s clueless.” Freya said after a moment of thinking. This was why Roman was on the attack. It seemed he was willing to go to any length to get the clue – even as far as attacking his fellow competitors. His unpredictable behaviour could become an issue in the challenges, Freya knew she would have to watch out for him in the future.   
Connor frowned. “Aren’t you going to help him, Freya?” He looked up at her, sending her a curious expression.   
Freya shook her head, “No.” Looking into the crowd, she could see Rebecca. Freya knew that Albus’ Guardian wouldn’t be too far away. However, Freya did find herself watching Rebecca – just making sure she was doing her job.   
It would seem as though Freya didn’t need to worry, Rebecca was watching the scene in front of her intently, waiting for Roman to make a move so she could protect her charge. She was making sure another incident – where Freya had to help her – would happen again. Not with Lance watching so closely. Ever since Nina had been killed, Lance wouldn’t accept any more mistakes and have become harsher in his treatment with everyone.   
“But-” Connor interjected, but he was cut off.   
“James is my charge. Not Albus. I protect Albus during the challenges and nothing more.” Freya answered back bluntly.   
Connor quietened down immediately and didn’t say another word on the matter.   
Noah chuckled and also watched the scene.   
Freya watched James, waiting for his reaction. She knew that he wouldn’t react kindly to Albus being attacked by an older student. Any potential bully of Albus’ was taken down by not only his Guardian but by James as well. James was the type of person to protect his family and would go to any lengths to protect it.   
James stood on the side-line, watching with a passive expression. His arms were folded over his chest and the frown was prominent on his face. He watched the scene intensely. He knew that Albus could look after himself, but James was ready to jump into the fray at any time.   
That’s when Roman made his move. “Bombarda.” He had his wand pointed at Albus and shot his spell. The spell sent an explosion towards Albus at a fast pace, one that if he wasn’t paying attention to, would hit him. Although, Rebecca had already placed a shield charm around him, just in case.   
Luckily, Albus ducked in time and jumped out of the way. The spell hitting the wall behind him and causing the wall to explode. “Expelliarmus.” He shot his own spell, but Roman jumped out of the way at the last second. Albus had accidentally put too much force into the spell, causing him to fall to the ground at the force.   
Rebecca had her own wand ready. “Confundus.” She whispered lowly, her wand trained on Roman. Roman hadn’t attacked Albus until now, only used intimidation tactics by demanding the answer and it was only when Albus denied it did Roman get agitated.   
Her spell hit her mark and the effect happened instantly. Roman began to stumble and became unstable on his feet. He fell to his knee and held his head, trying to stop the room from spinning inside his head.   
“Hey, a fourteen-year-old has Roman on the ropes!” Yelled a Durmstrang boy, who was having a hell of a time. This comment caused the people around to laugh at Roman. Even students from Hogwarts begun laughing, all sending Roman expression filled with smugness.   
Noah sighed and shook his head.   
Freya watched with an apathetic expression. Honestly, everyone had just affirmed her belief that they were all stupid.   
Roman’s face was flushed red and his fists were white with how hard he was clenching them. His eyes were narrowed into a glare and they were trained on Albus. He gripped his wand tighter and stood up, his body violently shaking. He raised his wand to cast a spell, with an unforgivable expression in his eyes. It was in that moment that Roman reminded Freya of an angry bull.   
James had seen enough and didn’t like what he had seen. “Don’t even think about it!” He yelled out, storming forward. The younger years saw him and made a path for him, getting out of his way. James walked forward, a determined expression on his face.   
Roman glared at him. “Stay out of this, Potter!” He yelled at him, fury in his eyes.   
“Now I can help.” Freya sighed at Connor and reached for her wand. She had known that James wouldn’t be able to help himself by intervening.   
James narrowed his gaze at Roman. “Then leave Albus alone,” James said clearly, his loud voice echoing in the courtyard.   
Roman sneered, “What? Does baby Albus need protecting?” He mocked with an ugly expression.   
Freya rolled her eyes. He really wasn’t doing any favours for himself, and he was beginning to irritate her. His voice went through her and made her sneer. Roman had one of those voices that when listened to too much, it would begin to rub someone the wrong way.   
“Roman, stop it,” Ivan said, walking into the middle of the fray. He had stayed silent but had watched just to make sure that Roman didn’t go too far. He knew Roman’s temper better than anyone else and it wouldn’t end well.   
Roman shot Ivan a furious look. “No one tells me what to do?!” He yelled out, his wand sparked dangerously.   
“I suggest listening to him,” James said with a frown, his wand pointed at Roman. There was no way James was going to allow anyone to try and bully his brother. James wouldn’t have intervened, but it was starting to get too heated a little dangerous for his brother. Durmstrang was known for dark magic and James wasn’t risking it.   
Albus looked at the two with an unsure expression on his face. He had no idea how this was going to end. Though he was thankful for James intervening because Roman scared him. When Albus was around Roman, he felt nervous. Albus could tell that he still wasn’t happy that he had been entered into the Tournament and hadn’t let it go.   
Roman pointed his wand at James. “Confringo!” Flames exploded from his wand and it was aimed at James.   
“Protego!” James quickly shouted and sent Roman’s spell back at him.   
Just as the spell hit, Freya whispered. “Stupefy.”   
Both spells hit Roman in the chest, knocking him to the ground. Ivan ran over to check up on him, only to find Roman unconscious. He looked up and yelled out an order in Russian. Two more boys from Durmstrang ran over and carried the now unconscious Roman away to the nurse’s office.   
Satisfied, Freya put away her wand. She had timed her and James’ spell carefully so no one would notice anything. She was just being careful and she was glad she did. Freya looked up and saw Atlas circling the courtyard and she knew that Lance had been watching. Holding back a sneer, Freya looked back to James.   
James walked over to Albus. “You okay, Al.” He asked, holding his hand out.   
Albus smiled at him, “Thanks, James,” He took James’ hand and pulled himself up from the ground. He had been too busy watching everything that he forgot that he was even on the ground in the first place.   
“No problem.” James grinned back as he patted Albus on the back.   
Ivan walked over with a frown. “I apologise for Roman. He can be… unpredictable.” Ivan said with an uneasy expression. He was trying to be polite, but there was no other word that didn’t sound rude that would describe his teammate. Roman hadn’t originally gone for Albus, he had tried to find his Shield, but he couldn’t find her. Roman had tried to force the answer out of a few people, but no one knew who he was asking about. It was because if this frustration that Roman had tracked down Albus to get the answers he wanted.   
James frowned. “Make sure it doesn’t happen again.” He said, sending Ivan a serious expression. James liked Ivan, he had seen him many times when his dad and Viktor Krum would meet up every now and again. Ivan had always been polite – sometimes to a fault – but James knew that he was being sincere when he spoke.   
Ivan nodded his head. “Hopefully, he’ll back off after this.” He said, but his eyes held doubt in them. He was hopeful that Roman would take this defeat and learn some humility, but Ivan didn’t think that was possible. 

HARRY POTTER 

Using the Floo System, Harry appeared back in his living room and he felt himself immediately relax. When he and Ginny had bought a house together many years ago, Harry wanted a family home. He hadn’t had much of a family when he younger. It was only because Molly Weasley took him in that he truly learnt what a family meant and what it truly felt like to be part of a family. Then he and Ginny had four wonderful children – Harry counted Teddy as one of his children since he had helped raise him.   
“Harry?” Ginny called out as she walked into the living room. Seeing her husband, she smiled and walked over to him, kissing him before pulling away. “What’s wrong?" Ginny asked, noticing that Harry seemed distracted.   
Harry sighed and frowned. “It’s nothing.” He didn’t want to worry Ginny about what he was thinking.   
Ginny’s gaze narrowed. “Harry James Potter, you better tell me what is wrong. We promised that there would be no secrets.”   
The corners of Harry’s mouth twitch upwards. “I know, I’m sorry dear.” He said, leaning over to gently kiss Ginny. He wrapped his arms around her and felt himself truly relax, Ginny had been his rock over the years and he was so thankful for her.   
“Now, what’s on that mind of yours?” Ginny said, gently tapping his forehead, only slightly touching his scar.   
Harry was silent for a moment, but he led Ginny to sit down. He had been on his feet all day and he really wanted to sit down now. “Kingsley is hiding something from me.” Harry started, holding his wife’s hand tightly.   
Ginny looked surprised. “Kingsley? You mean the same man who we’ve had over countless of times?” She asked with a dubious expression. Ginny had always known Kingsley to be an honest man, and he could be quite a laugh when he had a drink or two in him.   
Nodding, Harry continued. “I’ve found out that there is a secret department in the Ministry and when I asked Kingsley about it, he began acting weird. He dodged my question and wouldn’t answer anything I asked.” Harry had found this particularly odd. Kingsley had always been very open about how things work in the Ministry – he was the one who encouraged transparency to ensure that no department was hiding something. Harry and Kingsley had worked hard over the years to make sure that there were no corrupt departments like there had been before the Wizarding War.   
Ginny frowned. “That doesn’t sound like him at all.” She said, looking concerned.   
Harry sighed and shook his head. “I’m afraid it also leads back to Hogwarts too. I’ve sensed a powerful memory charm, one stronger than the Obliviate charm.” He said, his mouth twisting in thought. When he had first went back to Hogwarts because of the Triwizard Tournament, he had noticed it instantly. He could sense it and it unnerved him to think that something was happening in Hogwarts without anyone knowing. It was almost like everyone was walking around in a daze. Harry had also noticed that there was a group of student – all from different houses – that seemed to isolate themselves and just watch people. If it had been one of two then Harry wouldn’t have paid it much thought, but it was quite a few students that were doing it, and no one seemed to notice it. McGonagall said she had noticed anything which Harry found odd immediately.   
“Are James, Al and Lily okay?” Ginny asked her brows furrowed, she was immediately concerned for the safety of her children. If there was any chance that any of her family was in danger then she wasn’t going to sit back and do nothing. She could see in Harry’s eyes that he was serious – he wasn’t pulling her leg. Ginny knew that if this worrying him then this was serious because usually, Harry was really relaxed about things nowadays.   
Honestly, Harry didn’t know how to answer that question. Physically, their children were fine. But there had been an extensive study about how memory erasing charms can have a negative impact on an individual’s mind. If it was used too much and too often then it could leave someone with permanent amnesia. Harry didn’t know what exact spell was being used and he didn’t know what effect it was going to have on his children – and that’s what worried him.   
“They’re fine. But I am going to get to the bottom of this.” Harry said, a determined expression on his face. If there was a chance that his children could be in danger, then Harry was going to make sure he uncovered any secrets that were being kept from him.


	15. Chapter 15

Freya stood in the Quidditch pitch at the dead of night. There was a light on in the Quidditch Pitch, it nearly illuminated the whole arena in the night, but there were a few shadows that could be used. She looked around, just to make sure that no one was around. She was hoping that no one would notice the light and come to investigate. Freya didn’t want anyone watching as this was going to be her first attempt at trying to fly since the first year. When Freya was younger, she had attempted to fly and to say it didn’t go very well was an understatement. She had failed disastrously at trying to stay up in the air. However, Freya was hoping that this time was going to be different. She was going to practice until she got it right. She looked down at her ‘borrowed’ broom. She had stolen it from the Quidditch shed. Freya made a mental note to return the broom when she finished so no one would notice. Taking a deep breath, Freya placed the broom on the ground careful and stood next to it. She stretched out her right hand.   
“Up.” Freya commended, her voice stern.   
The broom did nothing, just like before. It stayed laying on the grass as if to mock her. Taking a deep breath, Freya tried not to get angry. “Up!” Freya commanded once more, her bark louder.   
This time, the broom flew into her hand. Freya’s hand stung on impact, but she couldn’t hide the sense of pride that filled her. She didn’t even get this far in the first year because the broom refused to lift off the ground and into her hand. In the end, Freya had to pick up the broom and go from there. To say that lesson didn’t go well would be an understatement.  
Freya mounted herself on the broom. She tried to remember all of James’ matches when he played and how did it. Freya had watched him for years so she knew in theory what to do, but she wasn’t so sure how she would apply it. For a moment, Freya hesitated. But after a few more seconds, Freya took a deep breath and gently kicked off the ground and waited for impact with the ground. She closed her eyes and waited for herself to drop.   
But it never came.   
Freya opened her eyes and saw that she was floating, she hadn’t fallen to the ground straight away. Smirking victoriously, Freya grabbed the broom tightly and began to manoeuvre it, very shakily. Slowly, Freya flew around the pitch at a very slow speed, but she was happy. Freya felt proud of herself, she never thought she’d be able to fly. Feeling the adrenaline pumping through her veins, Freya felt adventurous and decided to go faster. Gripping the broom tighter, Freya went faster and she loved every moment of it. She could feel the night wind blowing in her face and hair and for a moment, Freya felt free. Feeling confident, Freya opened her eyes and felt her heart clench painfully. It was in that moment that she realised how high she actually was. Freya had actually managed to travel more than a hundred feet in the air without her knowing. Fear gripped Freya’s heart and she held onto the broom became weak and she felt herself become unsteady as the world around her became fuzzy. She tried to grip the broom and steady herself as quickly as she could, but luck was not on her side that night.   
Freya felt herself slip and fall to the ground. Quickly, Freya took out her wand and pointed it to the ground and said her spell. Seconds later, Freya hit the ground softly, making her sign in relief that she wasn’t too hurt. She sat up and felt a sharp shooting pain in her wrist, causing her mentally curse at her luck. She may have escaped a lot of damage, but she had managed to sprain her wrist at the same time.   
“Great,” Freya muttered harshly, inspecting her wrist. It was definitely sprained and this just seemed to put her in a foul mood. Freya looked at her discarded broom near her and she glared it at. With a low hiss, Freya kicked the broom away from her in anger. Taking a deep breath, Freya raised her wand and was about to heal her wrist. If she was going to continue practising, she was going to need a healed wrist. She had seen people try to fly with sprained wrists before and it never went well. James had always sent them to the nurse’s office to get it checked out.   
However, luck still wasn’t on Freya’s side that night.   
“Who’s there?” Said a loud voice from the entrance of the Quidditch pitch.   
Freya’s head shot up and her heart stopped beating for a moment as she looked at the entrance of the Quidditch pitch. Without another thought, Freya dashed into the shadows where she couldn’t be seen as quickly as she could. Freya had immediately recognised that voice; it was James. She had been so preoccupied with her injured wrist and trying to fly that she hadn’t even noticed his presence. Freya mentally cursed herself at her stupidity. Holding her breath, Freya watched James walk further into the pitch. She was trying to regulate her breathing so that he wouldn’t be able to hear her. Slowly, her hand reached up and grabbed her pendant. She wasn’t too concerned that James would find her because she was wearing her pendant, this was her safety net. Freya had just been caught off guard – something that she didn’t like and something that didn’t happen very often.   
James confidently strolled into the pitch and looked around. His hazel eyes scanned the whole field. He knew that there was someone here as the light to the Quidditch Pitch was on. For a moment, when his eyes passed Freya, she felt her heart clench painfully. In that split second, it actually felt like James was looking straight at her.   
“Show yourself now,” James commanded with his wand in hand.   
Freya didn’t move a muscle.   
“Look, I know someone is there. You left your broom behind.” James said with an unimpressed look on his face.   
Freya’s eye twitched as she looked at the broom still laying in the middle of the pitch. During her panic, Freya had completely forgotten about the broom and had been solely focused on hiding herself away.   
When James got no response again, he raised his wand. “Lumos.” A ball of light appeared at the tip of his wand, further illuminating the area around him. Slowly, James began walking forward to the shadows of the pitch. James had been feeling restless that night and couldn’t sleep. It was during those nights that James would fly around on his broom to fully relax and help him release all that pent-up energy inside him. During all his years in Hogwarts, he had never met someone at this time of night, so the fact that someone was here intrigued him.   
As quietly as possible, Freya attempted to creep around James, making sure to stay out of the light's path. Freya made sure to apply the least amount of pressure to her feet so no sound was made. Part of her Guardian training was to be sneaky, your charge isn’t allowed to see or even hear you. Just as she was about halfway, Freya thought she was in the clear.   
“Ah ha! That’s where you are!” James said with a victorious smile on his face.   
Freya froze where she was. She had been caught, she knew she had because James’ light was shining in her direction. Turning her head, Freya saw that James was looking directly at her, which only made her panic even more. He was actually looking at her and not through her.   
“But the question is, who are you?” James asked with a frown on his face. He had never seen her before, but that was a nagging in the back of his mind that maybe he had seen this girl before.   
Freya said nothing. She was waiting for her pendant’s charm to kick in and then she could get away. Usually, the magic in the pendant was really quick, but for some reason, it seemed to be delayed. ‘Come on. Come on.’ Freya thought to herself, waiting for it to activate.   
James looked at her. “Is something wrong?” He asked with a concerned expression.   
However, it didn’t seem to be working, so Freya did something stupid.   
She spoke to him.   
“You… you can see me?” Freya asked, feeling heavily confused.   
James sent her a look filled with confused amusement. “Of course I can see you. Why wouldn’t I be able to?” He laughed, not understanding why she would have asked something like that.   
Freya touched her pendant, wondering why it wasn’t working. It had never failed like this before. Lance had made sure that the pendants wouldn’t stop working ever. They would only ever stop working if Lance died. Freya was pretty sure he wasn’t dead otherwise she wouldn’t be standing here or even be alive.   
“Now, why are you out here?” James asked, looking back at the discarded broom.   
“That’s none of your business,” Freya said back calmly. She had managed to regain her outside composure, but on the inside, Freya was terrified. She had never been in this situation before and she didn’t want to be. Just by talking to James she was putting herself in serious danger. If anyone found out then she was going to be in serious trouble.   
For a moment, James looked taken aback. “I think you’ll find it is. You see, you’re out after dark which is against the rules.” James said with a smirk on his face. As a Captain for the Quidditch team, James had access to the pitch at all hours – as long as they were approved by a professor. McGonagall had known for years that James would visit the pitch at odd hours and had tried to challenge him many times. But now, as long as McGonagall didn’t see him or hear about him being on the Quidditch pitch at odd hours then she didn’t mind.   
Freya arched a brow. “You’re going to lecture me about breaking the rules?” For a moment, she couldn’t believe he had the audacity to do that.   
James immediately laughed. “I know, pretty rich of me. But I’ve never seen you here before and you’re not on any team.” James said as he looked at Freya with a closer eye. He knew most of the Quidditch players in every team and James knew that he had never seen her before. He knew that she wasn’t on his team, judging by her Gryffindor tie.   
Freya sighed, seeing no way of how to get out of this. “I was practising.” She muttered lowly. She was hoping that he wouldn’t hear and she would be able to slip out at some point if he lost interest in her.   
However, James managed to hear her. “For what?” He asked, his brows furrowed. He knew that this girl wasn’t part of any team. As James looked at her more closely, he noticed she looked familiar. Then it clicked in his mind. “Hey, you’re my brother’s teammate in the tournament,” James said, his eyes widening slightly at this realisation. Albus had been trying to find his teammate so they could discuss the clue together, but he hadn’t had any luck.   
Freya felt her heart rate speed up even more. James was remembering her and this only unsettled her even more. Her grip on her pendent tightened even more. She was silently begging for it to work and come back. For once in her life, Freya felt exposed   
James frowned, noticing her lack of response. Without another thought, James moved closer to her, getting her attention. He was very close to her. James was so close that Freya could feel his breath on her and she didn’t like it.   
“What are you doing?” Freya snapped, a hiss in her tone.  
James smirked. There was something about this girl that intrigued him. “Now I’ve got your attention.”   
“Yes, you’ve got my attention. Now get out of my space.” Freya said back blankly.   
James arched a brow at her. Usually, girls would be blushing or stuttering around him. James knew that he was attractive and he had used that to his advantage for many years. But he had never come across someone who acted like this.   
“Not until you tell me why you’re practising,” James said cockily, his smirk only growing larger when Freya glared at him.   
Freya sneered at him, feeling her temper begin to rise. No one – besides Lance – would get in her personal space and she liked that. She liked that people would leave her alone and give her the space she wanted. But James seemed to be pushing her. He was challenging her – and somewhere deep down, Freya liked it. She knew that James wouldn’t give in until she told him. She had watched him for years after all.   
“It’s for the next part of the tournament. I think it’s about flying. That’s why I was practising.” Freya eventually admitted with a sigh in her tone.   
“Was that so hard?” James said, looking happy with himself. But he did stay true to his word. James moved back until he was a decent distance away from her.   
Saying nothing, Freya walked over to discarded broom and was about to walk away. She knew she needed to get away before anyone saw. Freya was lucky that no one else was there to see otherwise she would have been in a lot of trouble.   
“What? Are you quitting already?” James said loudly, his tone making him sound arrogant. “I thought you were practising.”  
Freya stopped where was and glared at him. “That doesn’t concern you.” She hissed at him, not pleased that James had called her a quitter. She knew that James was trying to get a rise out of her – he had been doing that to everyone for years. He would act cocky and arrogant around people and taunt them.   
James frowned. “It does actually. You’re my brother’s teammate, and I don’t want you bringing him down or endangering him.” James said, his usual bravado was gone. In its place stood a serious James – one that surprised Freya.   
Freya glared at him, not liking what he was implying.   
“Do you even know how to fly?” James asked, standing straight. He was looking at the broom in her hand and then at Freya.   
For a moment, Freya hesitated. “Of course I do,” Freya said before inwardly wincing at her memory. She couldn’t fly at all but she didn’t want to appear weak in front of him.   
“Then show me,” James said, folding his arms over his chest.   
Gritting her teeth, Freya glared and mounted the broom in her hand, all the while keeping her gaze focused on James. He was standing back, watching Freya carefully. James was in Captain Mode when all he cared about was Quidditch. Fred had mocked him a few times because of this – who was then made to do laps around the pitch.   
Just as Freya was about to kick off, James stopped her.   
“What’s wrong with your wrist?” He asked, looking at her wrist with a confused expression.   
Freya stopped, but she wasn’t surprised. She knew that he would pick it up. When she had mounted the broom, she had tried to put less weight on her left wrist and more on her right. But she hadn’t hidden it that well.   
“I sprained it,” Freya admitted, holding the injured appendage to her chest.   
Without saying another word, James walked forward and held out his hand. Freya arched a brow at him. “Give me your wrist.” James said with his wand in hand.   
“No.” Freya instantly said.   
James sighed deeply. “How are you going to fly with an injured wrist?” He gave her an expecting look, as though he expected her to give in. However, Freya was not one of those girls that would fall to his feet.   
Freya glared at him. “I’ll do it myself.” Freya hissed at him, taking her own wand out. There was no way she was letting him anywhere near her again.  
James watched as Freya healed her own wrist. There was something about her that really intrigued her. Now he was close again, he took in her appearance and he was not disappointed. The girl in front of him was pretty – but in a cold and alluring way. It was her eyes that stood out the most though. Her stormy grey eyes seemed to glow in the dark. They looked so similar to the eyes from his dreams.   
“Have we met before?” James asked suddenly, staring at Freya intently.   
Freya felt herself freeze where she was.   
“I feel like we’ve met before,” James said with a confused expression. He tried so hard to think back. There was no way he would forget this girl – her eyes were too similar to the girl in his dreams. Was this girl the one he had been dreaming out?  
Feeling the air catch in her throat, Freya felt herself panic. This was going too far. At this rate, James would say something and Freya would be in serious trouble. Without another thought, Freya jumped off the broom and ran.   
“Hey!” James yelled, watching her run away. For a moment, James wanted to run after her, but something inside him told him not too.

HARRY POTTER 

Straight after Freya ran away from James, she darted over to McGonagall’s office. Freya knew that the headmistress would still be awake as most days McGonagall didn’t sleep until after all her paperwork was done for the day. Her pace was fast because she needed to speak with her urgently. As she made her way over, Freya couldn’t help the feeling utter panic fill her very being. The knot in her stomach was enough for her to throw up there and then. Freya couldn’t believe what she just did. She had spoken to James Sirius Potter and liked it. Freya had liked the fact he challenged her, it actually gave her a thrill.   
“McGonagall.” Freya burst into her office, slightly out of breath.   
McGonagall looked up from her work with an arched brow. “Miss Williams, what are you doing out of bed?” She asked, looking at the clock on her desk. McGonagall knew that the curfew didn’t really apply to Guardians, but she couldn’t help herself.   
“I have a problem,” Freya panted slightly, walking further into the office.   
Now, Freya had McGonagall’s full attention. “What’s wrong?” She asked, looking slightly concerned. She knew that Freya would never barge into her office unless it was important.  
Freya looked around the room cautiously. She knew that McGonagall’s office had a soundproofing spell around it, but she couldn’t help but feel anxious. She didn’t want to risk anyone listening to what she was going to say. “My pendant didn’t work. James saw me and talked to me.” Freya said in a hushed tone.   
McGonagall gave no outward reaction other than a raised brow. “Oh?”  
“This is bad. Very bad. If Lance ever finds out I am dead.” Freya said very quickly as she began pacing around the office. Freya could feel her panic levels rising fast. She was going to be in so much trouble. Lance would find out and he wouldn’t be happy. Just when things seemed to quieten down something happened. Freya began cursing her own stupidity. If only she had noticed James before he even entered the pitch then she wouldn’t be in this situation.   
“And how do you propose that Lance will find out?” McGonagall asked as she placed her quill down on her desk.   
Freya stopped pacing and looked at her. “What?”   
“No one saw you, correct?” McGonagall asked, arching a brow.   
Freya shook her head, not understanding what she was saying. If someone had seen then this would have been a completely different conversation. Freya would have went straight to Lance to get it over with because that’s what she had been trained to do by her mother and father. Dragging it out was never good because it just made Lance mad. However, no one had seen Freya talk to James.   
McGonagall grinned slightly. “Then how will Lance find out? I’m certainly not going to tell him and neither should you.” She said, picking up her quill and continued with her work.   
Freya stared at McGonagall with an amazed expression.   
“As far as I am concerned, this conversation didn’t happen,” McGonagall said, not looking up from her work. But she still had a small grin on her face.   
“But what am I going to do about my pendant?” Freya asked, still concerned.   
McGonagall frowned and took out her wand. She motioned for Freya to come closer and she obeyed. Silently, McGonagall cast a spell on the pendant. A bright light emanated from McGonagall’s wand before disappearing completely.   
“Alright, that should put the memory and invisibility charm back in place.” McGonagall said before putting her wand away.   
Feeling herself calm down, Freya nodded her head, thankful for her help. Lance didn’t need to know about the incident with James or her pendant malfunctioning. No one saw it happen. Most times, Lance didn’t know about some instances unless someone told him about it. Lance seemed to expect and encourage the Guardians to snitch on one another.   
“Thank you,” Freya whispered before leaving her office. Feeling much better, Freya knew that she would be able to sleep easier that night. Freya was still worried about Lance finding out, but for now it would be fine. Freya would just have to make sure her Occlumency shields were up.   
Now alone, McGonagall looked up and leaned back in her seat.   
“Looks like all your hard work is paying off, Minerva.” Said the portrait of Albus Dumbledore behind her. His blue eyes twinkling in the low lighting.   
McGonagall nodded her head. “It has. It’s taken four years to break through that charm.” She said with a frown on her face. For years, McGonagall had been trying to break through Lance’s charm on the pendant. Those extra protection spells for Freya were a cover. McGonagall would be trying to get through the charm and then cover it with a charm of her own, so her meddling would stay undetected. She had been digging deeper every time, just so not to make Lance suspicious or alert him of any changes. It still amazed McGonagall of how complex the magic behind the pendant was. It was extraordinary – and that’s what worried McGonagall. However, McGonagall had to restore it slightly so not to put Freya in any danger.   
“Just make sure the girl isn’t harmed in the process.” Said another voice. This time, the voice came from the portrait of Severus Snape; whose sneer was hardened in the harsh lighting.   
McGonagall sent Snape a side glance. “Who do you think I am? My main priority is to free Miss Williams. If I can free her then the others will follow.” She said with the utmost confidence.  
“And what makes you so confident they will follow?” Snape questioned with genuine curiosity. He had always wondered why McGonagall’s attention was solely focused on this one girl when there were other Guardians too.   
McGonagall frowned. “Miss Williams is Lance’s strongest Guardian and she is well respected.” She knew that if Freya turned against Lance then others would follow her example. McGonagall knew that there was a so much more going on – McGonagall was only told what she needed to know and nothing more. But, she felt confident that Freya knew a lot more – a lot more than any other Guardian. If Freya turned against Lance then the Guardians would crumble.   
“Just remember Minerva, you’re playing a dangerous game. Miss Williams is Lance’s favourite pet and will keep her at all costs.” Dumbledore warned with a grim expression.   
McGonagall nodded her head.   
“She’s a child. Why don’t you just leave her alone?” Asked a fourth voice. This one belonged to Armando Dippet, whose portrait sat in the corner. He had been watching for a while and hadn’t spoken much. But he was curious about why this girl was getting so much attention.   
McGonagall glared at his portrait. “Exactly, she is a child. She and many other children are being deprived of a life. If I don’t intervene, she will never have a future.”  
This seemed to shut Dippet up.   
“You’ve grown attached,” Snape stated with a frown.   
The room was silent for a moment as McGonagall didn’t react to his words. Snape was always known to be blunt and straight to the point – that was something he was well known for and that’s why he wasn’t well liked. However, McGonagall was a tough Witch – one that even Voldemort couldn't crack.   
“And if I have?” McGonagall challenged with a sharp expression. She wasn’t afraid to admit that she had grown rather fond of Freya. However, McGonagall suspected that Lance also knew that and that’s why he summoned Freya that day he threatened her.   
Dumbledore sighed deeply. “Just be careful McGonagall. Feelings can become a hindrance,”   
McGonagall said nothing as she folded the piece of parchment. Standing up, she walked over to Fawkes. Fawkes had stayed even though Dumbledore had long passed. The Phoenix guarded the office and made sure to keep Lance away – who was deathly afraid of the Firebird.   
“Take this to Harry Potter,” McGonagall said, holding the paper out.   
Fawkes screeched and snatched the parchment before flying into the air.   
McGonagall watched the Phoenix fly away. She had sent this bird on purpose and that was because she knew Freya wouldn’t be able to intercept it. McGonagall knew that Freya had been watching her ever since Lance had confronted her in this very office. As talented as Freya was, McGonagall was better. She knew that Freya had been ordered to spy on her by Lance – it had his name written all over this. She knew that Freya had snuck in a magic mirror and was watching her and she found it soon after that incident. That’s why McGonagall now began taking all the very important documents into her room. McGonagall had also placed a charm on the mirror, so Freya wouldn’t see this exchange at all.   
“I’m not going to be able to do this alone. To bring down Lance, people need to know all the facts. Miss Williams is the key to unlock all of Lance’s secrets.” McGonagall ominously said into the air.


	16. Chapter 16

That same day 

Freya was walking back to her dorms after her chat with McGonagall and she did feel better, but only slightly. She couldn’t help but feel anxious. She could still feel her stomach fluttering from the encounter with James she had just moments ago. Just thinking about it sent shivers down her spine, but it wasn’t for any good reasons. Freya had talked to James – her charge. She had spoken to him and liked it. She liked the way he kept her on her toes, she liked the fact he challenged her because it excited her. But one blurring fact couldn’t be ignored: Freya had broken one of the many unspoken rules in the Guardian Programme and she felt guilty. Once Freya recognised this feeling, she felt like she had swallowed a stone.   
Should she tell Lance?   
Freya shook her head, McGonagall had told her not to. No one was there to witness the incident so she didn’t need to worry about anyone ratting her out. But Lance had instilled into them to always snitch on anyone that breaks the rules – even themselves.   
Just then, a magical note appeared, floating near her. Without another thought, Freya snatched it and looked at the note, only to feel her stomach flutter violently. 

Freya Williams,   
Report to my office at once.   
Lance. 

Freya mentally cursed, feeling at the blood leave her face. Being called out by Lance at this time was never a good sign. Actually, being called to his office at all was never a good sign. Freya’s heart felt heavy and for a moment, she found it hard to breathe. Freya clenched the note in her hand and tried to calm herself down. Lance couldn’t know she had spoken to James, there was no way. It was just her and James in the Quidditch Pitch. Keeping that in mind, Freya walked to Lance’s office even know all she wanted to do was run and hide.   
The walk to Lance’s office seemed to be the longest she had ever walked. But eventually, Freya made it. Taking this moment, she took a deep breath and cleared her mind. Freya wasn’t taking any chances and raised her Occlumency Shields to the highest they have ever been set. She knocked on the door and only opened it when she heard Lance’s voice giving her permission.   
Entering the office, Freya saw that Lance was behind his dead as usual with a tense expression. When Lance spotted her, he smiled at her. “Ah Freya, there you are.”  
Saying nothing, Freya closed the door behind her and stepped further into the office. She only stopped when she was a few feet away from his desk. “You needed to see me about something sir?” Freya said blankly.   
Lance nodded his head. “Yes. I would like your opinion.”   
This didn’t settle well with Freya, as usually, Lance didn’t ask their opinion often. Most times, it was usually a trick question.   
“Do you believe all the Guardians are loyal to me?” Lance asked, staring at Freya with an intense expression. If Freya wasn’t already used to his behaviour, she would have been stumped and would have hesitated.   
But this is what her father had trained her for. “All Guardians are loyal to only you, sir,” Freya replied back instantly, not hesitating once. Her speeding heart rate was slowing down and she was felt herself start to relax. Lance hadn’t mentioned her encounter with James and she was hoping that it would stay that way.   
Lance nodded his head, happy with the response. “Good, because they’re going to need to be,” Lance said as he stood up and walked over to the window in his office.   
Freya watched him, feeling uneasy.   
“As you know, Teddy and Victoire Lupin are going to have a child. That child will also need to be protected. However, no one under my care is pregnant and I cannot ask the ex-Death Eaters as most of them are too old.” Lance said as he began pacing around the office.   
Freya stood and watched him, waiting for him to continue. However, she didn’t like where his words were leading him.   
Lance turned around and looked directly at her. “That leaves the Guardians. Logan is the perfect male for the job, and so would Amy. But, this would mean Amy would have to leave the Guardians Programme for a while and she is needed. So, now I look to the slightly younger ones.” He said, taking a few steps closer to the Gryffindor.   
Freya felt her body freeze when Lance reached out and touched her hair. Lance began stroking her hair slowly while absentmindedly looking out the window of his office. Freya wanted to slap his hand away so badly, but she reframed herself.   
“In my eyes, you would be a perfect candidate,” Lance said casually.   
It took everything inside Freya to not scream and yell. The thought of becoming the Guardians’ breeding machine did not sit well with her.   
“But I have decided that you are needed here. You seem to be my only competent Guardian.” Lance said with a scoff, removing his hands from Freya’s hair as he moved away to sit at his desk once more.   
“Thank you, sir,” Freya said smoothly, covering up her disgust.   
Lance smiled in her direction. “However, would you have any Guardians in mind?” He asked, leaning forward in his seat.   
For a moment, Freya said nothing. Her mind had thought of Katrina – who so desperately wanted to be a mother. But she refused to put Katrina through this. There was no way in hell that Freya would ever put forward Katrina’s name.   
“None, sir,” Freya answered back.   
Lance sighed in disappointment but nodded his head nonetheless. “That will be all then.” He said, waving his hand in a dismissive manner.   
Without another word, Freya left the room. Once outside, Freya sighed in relief before jogging back to her dorm. The further away she was from Lance the better. As she jogged, Freya gave herself a mental reminder to have a long shower to wash her hair. 

HARRY POTTER 

The next day 

Looking at the watch on his wrist, Harry saw that it was nearly time three in the afternoon. Last night, Harry had received an urgent letter saying that this person needed to talk to him. The letter wasn’t signed and Harry didn’t know who it was. However, the letter said that they would arrive at his home address at a four. This had alarmed Harry as not many people knew where he lived and he didn’t want Ginny to be in any danger as it was her day off. Harry knew his wife could defend herself very well, but he couldn’t help but worry.   
Harry opened his front door and called out. “I’m home, Ginny!” He projected his voice, letting his wife know of his presence. As he did this, he removed his coat and placed it on the coat rack they had near the door.   
“In here, dear!” Ginny shouted back, sounding happy. Her voice seemed to be coming from the living room.   
Harry smiled and walked further into the house. Hearing his wife’s voice was always great after a long day in the Ministry. However, Harry was greeted with a sight that he didn’t see often. Harry had expected to see his wife and spend some time with her before this mysterious person arrived. But all he saw was McGonagall sitting in his living room, with Ginny serving her tea.   
“McGonagall?” Harry said, his green eyes widened.   
McGonagall looked up at the clock in the room and then at him. “Looks like you’ve finally learned how to be on time.” She said in a mocking manner.   
Harry and Ginny shared a smile.   
“If it’s alright Mrs Potter, I need to speak with your husband,” McGonagall said, placing her cup down on the table.   
Ginny smiled and nodded her head, “Of course.” She stood up and walked over to Harry, kissing him on the cheek before leaving the room. She had left the room out of respect for McGonagall as it wasn’t often she would come visit the house.   
Harry watched his wife leave. “So, you sent that letter?” He asked, walking over to sit down near the Headmistress.   
McGonagall arched an eyebrow. “Took you long enough.”   
“But why couldn’t Ginny be here?” Harry asked, looking at her with a curious expression. Harry told his wife everything. He hides nothing from his wife and Ginny did the same. Many time, the two would share confidential information that no one was allowed to know.   
McGonagall picked up her tea and began drinking once more. “I had a feeling you wouldn’t want her to be put in any danger.”   
This immediately alarmed Harry.   
McGonagall’s eyes sharpened. “Mr Potter, what I am about to tell you is completely confidential. In the end, you can make the decision of whether you tell Mrs Potter or not.”   
Harry sat straight on the couch as his posture tensed. He knew that McGonagall wasn’t messing around, and that’s when he knew that something was serious.   
“There is a secret department in the Ministry, but I cannot tell you its name. I cannot tell you the purpose or what it’s doing, but I can tell you it’s not good.” McGonagall said with a grim expression. She so badly wanted to spill everything to Harry, but she knew she couldn’t. If Lance were to even find out she heard it would mean devastating effects on the children.   
Harry frowned and looked at her with a confused expression. “Why can’t you say?” He asked. He could see that McGonagall wanted to, but something seemed to be holding her back. He had seen that look many times when he was interrogating people.   
“It’s too dangerous,” McGonagall retorted blankly.   
Harry said nothing, knowing better than to question his old Transfiguration professor. She was always the most honest with him back in his Hogwarts years and he appreciated that.   
“I know you have already noticed something is wrong at Hogwarts. You’ve noticed students acting weird, have you not?” McGonagall questioned with an arched brow. She had asked Kingsley personally for Harry to be a judge for the Tournament. She knew that he would notice something was up immediately – or she at least hoped he would.   
Harry nodded his head. “I have yes. I have also sensed a powerful memory charm.”  
For a moment, McGonagall smiled but it disappeared as quickly as it came. “You’re right. Looks like being an Auror has done you some good.” She said, taking a sip of her tea.   
Harry grinned slightly. “So, what can you tell me?” He asked, getting back to business.   
“Look into Lance Johnson more closely. He is hiding a big secret, one that has been hidden for far too long.” McGonagall said with a grim expression before standing up. “I must be on my way, I do not wish to be away from Hogwarts for too long.” Who knows what Lance was doing in her absence and she wasn’t going to take the risk.   
Harry nodded his head and stood up, “Of course. I will definitely look into him.” He said he began leading his old professor to the door.   
McGonagall stopped just as she was about to open the door. “One more thing, Mr Potter.” She said, turning around to look at him.   
“Yes?” Harry said as he looked at her with an arched brow.   
“Tread carefully around Lance. Keep any details of your investigation quiet and only tell the people you trust with your life. If he were to find out you’re investigating him, it would have dangerous repercussions.” McGonagall warned ominously. Her thoughts went back to when Lance threatened the well-being of her students in front of her. She would not any of her students get hurt. She didn’t care if Lance threatened her, but her students were another thing altogether.   
Harry frowned deeply, her words sending a shiver down his spine. “Of course.” He said, nodding his head. He didn’t know exactly what it was, but what McGonagall said made his stomach clench. What was going on in Hogwarts that McGonagall couldn’t deal with?  
Without another word, McGonagall left the house.   
Just then, Ginny came down the stairs, “Is she gone already?” Ginny asked, standing beside her husband with a curious expression.   
“Yes, she just dropped in for a chat,” Harry said, smiling down at his wife. After what McGonagall had said, Harry knew that he was going to include Ginny. He knew that Ginny could look after herself and he wanted her to be informed in case they ever ran into Lance Johnson.   
“Ginny, what do you think about Lance Johnson?” Harry asked suddenly.   
Ginny looked at him with an arched brow. “I think he’s a bit odd, and a bit of a boot-licker at times, why?” She asked, turning around to face him.   
Harry sighed deeply. “You will never believe what is going on.”  
Ginny shot him an incredulous look. 

HARRY POTTER 

That next day 

It was only early morning when Harry arrived back in the Ministry of Magic. Harry had one goal in mind that day and that was to speak with Kingsley. After having a long chat with Ginny, they had devised a plan. Ginny had been extremely worried about James, Albus and Lily and the rest of their family. Ginny had wanted to confront Lance immediately, but the thought made Harry shake his head. Harry knew that he couldn’t outright ask Lance as it would be too dangerous.   
Something was certain though, and that was Kingsley was hiding something, and Harry was going to find out what it was.   
Easily navigating his way through the Ministry, Harry knocked on Kingsley’s door and received a quick answer that he could enter. Harry knew that Kingsley would be in his office, he was always early to start the day and finished late. Opening the door, Harry saw Kingsley sitting at his desk with many papers in front of him.   
Kingsley looked up and smiled. “Harry! What can I do for you?” He asked, seeming happy to see him.   
For a moment, Harry said nothing. “I was hoping to have a quick chat if you’re not too busy drowning in paperwork,” Harry said with a grin. Kingsley did have a mountain of paperwork around him which never seemed to go down at all.   
Kingsley laughed in good nature. “I am always drowning in paperwork. But I always have time to speak with you.” He said, extending his hand to one of the free chairs in front of him.   
Harry smiled as he walked forward and sat down.   
“So, what can I do for you?” Kingsley asked, sending a warm look his way.   
Taking a deep breath, Harry began. “As you know I have conducted my visits to all departments. All but one.” He said, feeling unsure. He didn’t know how Kingsley would react to this. He had already asked once about this secret department and received no answer, but he was hoping that today would be different as they were alone. Harry had made the mistake of asking in front of another person in the Ministry. Harry was hoping that Kingsley would be more open when alone.   
Kingsley frowned, the warm look in his eyes gone.   
“I would like access to that department to continue with the review.” Harry finished, trying to make his tone as light as possible. Harry was trying to make it seem like it wasn’t a big deal and that McGonagall hasn’t pre-warned him beforehand.   
“I am afraid that I cannot do that,” Kingsley answered back slowly.  
Harry sent him a curious expression. “And why is that? You asked me personally to review every department.”   
Kingsley sighed deeply. “That is one department you don’t need access to. It was made after the Wizarding war and is being monitored by a trusted Auror.” He replied back, seeming confident in his answer.   
“Lucius was thought to be trusted too,” Harry answered back quickly, not needing to say anymore. Everyone knew about the fall of the older Malfoy. His fate rested in Azkaban where not even his family would go and visit him anymore. He was left to rot in Azkaban where he deserved to be with all the other Death Eaters still loyal to Voldemort.   
Kingsley didn’t say anything for a moment. He looked at the ground, guilt flashed in his eyes for a moment which Harry caught. As an Auror, you have to be quick to notice people’s reactions. Originally, Harry had struggled with this aspect at first, but now it was second nature to him to analyse people.   
“Kingsley, what is going on?” Harry asked in a hushed tone.   
“I made a bad decision years ago, one that I regret every single day of my life,” Kingsley whispered in a pained voice. He looked up and there were guilt, pain and regret in his eyes.   
Harry moved closer to him. “I can help you with this.” He said earnestly. Whatever Kingsley had done couldn’t be too bad. Kingsley didn’t have a single bad bone in his body.   
Kingsley shook his head. “I can’t.”   
Harry was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. Kingsley shot up and cleared his throat. “Enter.” He said in a strong voice, leaving no indication of the vulnerability he had just displayed moments ago.   
The door opened to reveal Kingsley’s secretary. She was a petite woman who looked to be in her late twenties.   
“Sir, you have a meeting scheduled in ten minutes.” The woman said with a smile. When she saw Harry in the room, her eyes widened in panic. “I-I’m sorry if I interrupted.” She said quickly with an unsure expression.   
Kingsley smiled and shook his head. “Of course not. I and Mr Potter were just wrapping up.” He said, standing up from his seat. “Have a good day,” Kingsley said before leaving the office, closing the door behind him quickly.   
Harry frowned and was about to leave, but he stopped. He looked back and noticed an open letter on Kingsley’s desk. It had a crest on the seal that Harry recognised. When Harry had been tailing two people from this mysterious department, he had noticed a mark on both their necks. It was a bold capital ‘G’ with thorns wrapped around it. The crest on the letter also had that same mark. Looking around, Harry walked around the desk, making sure not to touch anything. Kingsley had left this letter half open, so Harry could see some of what was written.   
Quickly, Harry began scanning the letter.   
Kingsley,   
So far, the Guardian Programme within Hogwarts has been a success-  
Harry’s head shot up when he heard the door open. Quickly, Harry walked around the desk so he was standing back where he was before. When the door opened fully, it revealed Lance Johnson, looking confused.   
“Mr Potter, I wasn’t expecting to see you here,” Lance said with a pleasant smile on his face.   
Harry returned the smile, “Oh I was just leaving.” He said, walking away from the desk with a pleasant expression on the outside. He was carefully watching Lance, McGonagall’s warning still ringing in his ear. He had to act as natural as possible, even when he was feeling very distrustful of the Auror in front of him.   
“Actually I am glad I caught you. I am hosting a Christmas Party and I was hoping you and your family could attend?” Lance asked with a hopeful expression.   
“I’ll have to ask the wife first.” Harry said in a joking manner, “But send the invitation anyway.” In his mind, Harry was already coming up with a plan. If Harry went to this party, maybe he could find out some more information.   
Lance’s icy blue eyes gleamed brightly. “Will do. I do hope you can attend.” He said, leaving the office with a smile on his face.   
Harry smiled until Lance was out of sight. 

HARRY POTTER 

Later that same day 

Harry sat in his study, thinking. While he was thinking, he was flicking the golden snitch that Dumbledore had left for him in his will. When Harry was in deep thought, his hand always reached for the golden snitch. For some reason, it always helped him think. Maybe Harry just liked the sound it made, but that didn’t matter. He was thinking about some of the letters he had seen on Kingsley’s desk. The Guardian Program, what was it? He had never heard of it before but something inside him made him feel uneasy and whatever it was didn’t settle well with him. That’s why when he left, Harry had immediately sent his Patronus to Hermione and Ron, asking to meet with them that day. Harry didn’t know exactly what was going on, but he knew that it couldn’t be good. Was this the thing that Kingsley was so pained over?  
Harry looked when he heard the door to his office open. He saw Hermione and Ron standing there with worried expressions on their faces.  
“Harry, we came as soon as we could,” Hermione said, her tone filled with concern. Her curly hair had calmed down over the years and now it suited her wonderfully. Ever since the Wizarding War, Hermione had trained to become an Auror just like Harry and Ron. She had refused to be left out the action. In her spare time, she campaigned for House Elves rights and was successful in her organisation she had set up.   
“Yeah, what’s up mate?” Ron asked as he sat down near him.   
Harry sighed and leaned back in his chair. “There is a secret department in the Ministry, one that Kingsley will not let me have access to.” He began with a frown. Even without McGonagall’s warning, he had noticed that something was amiss within the Ministry but her warning just solidified it.   
Hermione looked alarmed at this. “What? There can’t be. Kingsley wouldn’t have kept that a secret from us.” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing, but she knew that Harry wouldn’t lie. Hermione trusted Kingsley, but she trusted Harry even more.   
“Are you sure?” Ron asked, looking at Harry with furrowed brows.   
Harry nodded his head. “Yes. I was tailing two people but they managed to disappear on me. When I confronted Kingsley, he seemed…pained.”   
The room was silent for a moment. Hermione had raised her hand and placed it under her chin, thinking. Ron also looked to be thinking – though not as hard as Hermione. Harry still felt confused, but he knew that having Hermione and Ron helping would be beneficial.   
“There is more, isn’t there?” Hermione asked, looking straight at Harry. She could read him like a book and she knew that there was more to the situation.   
Ron scoffed, “What more can there be?” A secret department in the Ministry was a big issue since they had no clue what the purpose of it was for. For all they knew, it could be filled with dark magic and Kingsley was covering it up.   
Harry sighed heavily. “McGonagall visited me. She warned me about the secret department. This department has sneaked it’s away into Hogwarts for years and no one has noticed.” How could no one have noticed anything?   
Hermione shot Ron a smug look. Ron rolled his eyes but smiled anyone. He should have known not to challenge his wife as she had a habit of always proving him wrong.   
“So why can’t McGonagall do something about it?” Ron asked, thinking of his old professor.   
Harry shook his head. “McGonagall could hardly tell me anything. She seemed as though she wanted to, but couldn’t.” He could remember wanting to ask her for more, but the haunted look in her eyes stopped him. It was actually very similar to the look in Kingsley’s eyes. Harry had a very certain feeling that they were connected in some way.   
“McGonagall must be being blackmailed,” Hermione said suddenly, making the two men look in her direction.   
Ron looked incredulous. “Who the bloody hell would be bold enough to threaten McGonagall?” He asked. McGonagall was strong. She could possibly beat half the Auror’s on their team and come out unscathed with her steely glare alone.   
However, Harry could see where Hermione was going with this. “Threatening McGonagall wouldn’t get anywhere, but if someone were to threaten the students…”   
“She’d give without a second thought.” Hermione finished with a grim expression.   
Ron slowly nodded his head, seeing what they were saying. McGonagall would go to any length to protect her students. She had stood up to Voldemort to ensure that Harry would stay safe back in their Hogwarts years. It was something none of them had forgotten.   
“Did she say anything else?” Hermione asked.   
Harry pursed his lips together. “She said to be wary of Lance Johnson and that he needed to be looked into further.”   
Ron barked a loud laugh. “Johnson? You mean one of your fans.” Ron could remember first meeting Lance Johnson. He was like a lost puppy that would follow Harry around when he first came into the Ministry. He was like a fanboy, like of like Colin Creevey.   
“Ronald, he’s also quite dangerous. He was trained under Moody himself.” Hermione scolded her husband.   
Ron instantly quietened down.   
Harry grinned at his behaviour, trust Ron to break any tension in the room. “McGonagall said that he has been hiding a secret for far too long. I think that Johnson is looking after this secret department, Kingsley told me that had a trusted Auror watching over this department.” Harry warned them with a severe look.   
Hermione nodded her head. “I knew there was something I didn’t trust about him. He always gave me the creeps.” She admitted with a shiver. There was always something about his demeanour that unsettled her to an uncomfortable point. Most times, she would move away if he was even slightly near her.   
“So, what’s the plan?” Ron asked with a grin on his face.   
Slowly, Harry returned the grin and so did Hermione.


	17. Chapter 17

One week later 

Freya now stood in the Quidditch Arena along with her fellow competitors. Today was the second challenge of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Freya had borrowed Cordelia’s clothes once more since Freya didn’t have any casual clothing of her own. This time, Freya had promised that they wouldn’t end up as shredded as the ones from the first challenge did, although Freya was unsure if she would be able to keep that promise at all. She looked around and saw nearly everyone from the school crammed into the stands. Freya looked over into the professor’s stand and saw the judges on the front row, with Lance in the middle of them. McGonagall has sat the furthest away from him and Harry sat next to her. Looking beside her, Freya saw Albus shifting around nervously. Alicia and Isaak looked calm and Ivan and Roman looked confident.   
Lance stood and pointed his wand to his mouth, which allowed his voice to be heard by everyone. “Welcome all. Today is the second challenge of the tournament.” A round of loud applause thundered. People were shouting and screaming in excitement. But all the screaming was just giving Freya a headache.   
Clearing his throat, Lance spoke. “For the Champions and Shields that got the clue, they may already have an idea of what today’s challenge has in store for them. But I will reveal this now! Today’s challenge will test your skills in the air. As a team, you must all reach it to the finish line. The fastest team to reach the end wins!” Lance explained, looking at each and every one of the competitors, his eyes lingering on Freya for just a moment too long.   
Freya mentally groaned in her head. She knew that it would involve flying – something she wasn’t looking forward too. She had practised for a straight week with only some luck. Flying just seemed to be a skill that Freya didn’t have. Usually, Freya could pick things up easily – she always had to pick things up easily otherwise there was a punishment awaiting her.   
Harry now stood up, alongside Lance. He too had his wand aimed at his mouth, which allowed his voice to be heard over the cheering crowd. “To decide the winner, we will award points. The maximum amount one person can get in ten points. The winner of the challenge will get ten points and if two people of the same house reach the finish line, then their points will be doubled. If anyone gets a key, they will receive bonus points.” He said looking around the arena and at everyone’s expression to make sure they understood the points system.   
“In a few minutes, the challenge will start. But remember, this is no ordinary challenge.” Lance ended with an ominous smile.   
Taking a deep breath, Freya and the other champions made their way up some stairs to a platform where they would all start off from. Freya looked up and saw what the next challenge was going to be. Just like Lance said, the challenge was going to be in the air. Hundreds of feet in the air was a maze. There were walls in mid-air, they were dotted around to make the journey more difficult and less smooth. However, they seemed to be stationary in the air so it would be easy to manoeuvre around them. There didn’t seem to be any other obstacle but this only made Freya feel uneasy and on edge. A challenge wouldn’t be this easy, especially not with Lance Johnson involved. Once on the platform, Freya took notice to the brooms already provided. For a moment, this did shock Freya, but after some thought, it didn’t. There was no spell that had been created yet that could assist in flying. At the moment, there were only brooms that could assist with this. Looking to her left, Freya saw Eva Lamb – Lance’s secretary.   
Eva smiled when she saw them all, her gaze only lasting on Freya for a second longer than everyone else. “Beauxbatons Champion and Shield are to step onto the first platform,” Eva said as she smiled robotically. She was pointing to the first platform, which was around ten feet in the air, and away from the biggest platform. There were two other platforms, each one getting lower. The second platform was on the level with the platform they were all standing on now. The third one was closer to the ground, a lot closer.   
Alicia looked at the platform with a pleased expression, while Isaak looked confused. Without another word, Eva lowered the higher platform down with her wand, allowing them to step on it. Once on it, Eva pointed her wand upwards and it moved, putting them level to two brooms in front of them.   
“Why is that?” Roman demanded with a scowl.   
Ivan rolled his eyes behind him.   
Eva turned around and smiled brightly, not deterred by his attitude in the slightest. “As Beauxbatons won the first challenge, they have been given an advantage in this challenge. Hogwarts came second so they will go in the middle.” As she explained, she was using her hands to gesture.   
Roman looked ready to argue, but Ivan grabbed his shoulder and stopped him just before Roman grabbed his wand. “Stop it,” Ivan muttered lowly in warning. Without another word, Roman and Ivan jumped down into their own platform and grabbed their own broom.   
Freya watched this interaction with a narrowed gaze. Ivan seemed to be whispering to Roman, trying to calm him down. They began speaking in Bulgarian – so Freya didn’t understand what they were saying. She glanced down at Albus and he seemed calm. This didn’t surprise Freya, she had found out from Rebecca that Albus had figured out the clue. Albus was also a great Quidditch player – one of the best Seekers that Slytherin has ever had. It wasn’t him that Freya was concerned about, but herself. She still wasn’t great with flying – she was a lot better than she was before – but Freya didn’t know if that was going to be good enough. Freya grabbed her broom and mounting it as best as she could. She was trying to make it seem as though as wasn’t a complete newbie. Freya kicked off and stayed in the air with some difficulty. Albus got on his broom with ease, seeming very comfortable on the broom itself and he too jumped off smoothly. Freya watched the other Champions and Shields and saw that they also got on the broom with ease. This made Freya scowl unhappily and made her feel bitter.   
“Ready, set, go!” Lance announced, throwing his hand into the air to make an effect.   
Freya gripped the broom tightly and off she went. 

HARRY POTTER 

James cheered loudly as he watched his brother. Albus had the lead and was in front of everyone – even Isaak and Alicia who had the advantage – and was currently flying towards the maze in the air. James stopped cheering when he looked at Albus’ Shield and found himself confused. He watched as the girl struggled slightly. To a trained eye in Quidditch like him, James could tell that this girl didn’t play Quidditch at all and she wasn’t used to riding a broom at all. However, James could see that this girl was adjusting and getting her bearings and was now gaining on her other opponents. She seemed to have the potential to be a good flier, but she seemed to have an issue with her balance.   
As James watched this girl, he couldn’t help but feel even more confused. James had this feeling in his chest, it was like he could recognise her but couldn’t at the same time. Watching the girl fly was making him think about back to when he went to the Quidditch pitch late one night.   
Suddenly, James felt a stabbing pain in his head. Wincing, James grabbed his head and held it, waiting for the pain to go away.   
After a few minutes, the pain slowly ebbed away and his attention was soon back on Albus. 

HARRY POTTER 

Freya flew in the air, chasing after everyone else. She was currently in the last place, but she soon found herself passing Isaak. He seemed to be struggling a lot more than she was and that made Freya feel slightly better about her own skill set. Gripping the broom tighter, she moved the broom downwards to make her go faster. Slowly, Freya felt herself become more comfortable on the broom as she felt her confidence rise. Looking ahead, Freya saw that she was coming towards the maze in the air and she knew she had to catch up to Albus – who was in her line if sight. Quickly, Freya was making up the distance and soon she had passed Alicia and was now behind Roman and Ivan. Moving the broom to the left, Freya avoided the first wall and quickly had to move to the right. On the inside, Freya was cursing this challenge. The walls were a lot closer and the path was actually very narrow. They were so narrow that two fliers couldn’t be shoulder-to-shoulder and they had to go in a single file line. Looking ahead, Freya narrowed her eyes. It seemed as though the walls were beginning to move slightly, but not enough for people to notice to the untrained eye. Turning her eyes to Albus, she saw that he was flying towards the walls that were beginning to move. However, Freya felt confident that Albus would be able to manoeuvre around them.   
Suddenly, pain bloomed from her left shoulder. Hissing, Freya turned her head to see that she had lost control of her broom and had crashed into the nearby wall. Tugging her broom to the right, she moved back into the path.   
For a moment, Freya felt herself relax. This challenge didn’t seem too bad.   
But that’s when she noticed that both Roman and Ivan had their wands out. They both had their wands pointed at Albus.   
Quickly, Freya took out her wand with difficulty. Her left hand was now holding the broom while her right hand was holding her wand. She had only just got used to holding the broom with both hands and now she was down to one hand. This made Freya’s heart beat faster as the adrenaline pumped through her.   
“Expelliarmus.” Freya pointed her wand at Roman – who she thought to be the biggest threat out of the two, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t keeping an eye on Ivan. However, to get to him, Freya had to pull her broom upwards so she could get a clean shot of him. “Expelliarmus.” Now, her wand was pointed at Ivan. Two green jets shot out from her wand and aimed at both Durmstrang students. Ivan dodged just in time, whereas Roman had completely ignored Freya’s spell, resulting in him getting hit. Roman cried out as he lost control of his broom and ended up flying into the wall nearby. Roman lost his grip on his broom and he clung to the wall as he watched his broom fall to the ground and land into the quicksand that was waiting for them at the bottom. Roman growled lowly as he climbed up the wall until he reached the top of the wall, where he could stand safely.   
As Freya passed him, she flashed him a smirk. Roman shot her a dark expression as he pointed his wand at her. “Confringo!”  
“Protego.” Freya cast her spell quickly, making his spell bounce off Freya’s shield. It bounced back and hit a nearby wall, destroying it.   
Roman cried out in outrage as he watched Freya fly ahead, quickly catching up to Ivan. He began looking around, trying to think of a way back into the game and soon he completely forgot about the girl who knocked him off his broom. Turning his head, he spotted both Isaak and Alicia flying towards him. Soon, a menacing grin spread across his face.   
“Accio broom!” Roman pointed his wand and watched as Alicia and her broom moved towards him against her will. When Alicia saw him, her eyes widen as she tried to manoeuvre away from him. However, she was out of luck. Just when she was close enough, Roman grabbed her by the arm and threw her off her broom. She cried out as she was thrown off the wall and was sent plummeting towards the quicksand on the ground.   
“Alicia!” Isaak shouted in panic. With a determined expression, Isaak turned back to help his sister. Isaak grabbed her arm and pulled her onto the back of his broom. Alicia sighed in relief. She looked down and saw what was happening to Roman’s broom, which was slowly being submerged into the quicksand until it couldn’t be seen anymore.   
Back with Freya, she was slowly gaining on Ivan. She knew that he was a lot smarter than Roman and wouldn’t be as easy to take down. Ivan had managed to dodge her spell with ease and had managed to manoeuvre himself smoothly – showing his skills in Quidditch. Freya knew that she had to think of something – she had to be smarter to figure out a way to get past him and get to Albus. Freya watched the walls as she flew past some walls and soon a plan formed in her mind. With the plan in mind, pulled her wand upwards so she would be higher than Ivan and this gave her a better view of the obstacle course.   
“Evanesco.” Freya pointed her wand at some of the walls ahead of Ivan. They were at least a few feet ahead and Ivan wouldn’t be able to see this unless he was at the same height as her – which he wasn’t. Freya did this a few times to the walls and watched as they vanished from sight. With a smirk, Freya made sure to keep in mind where the walls were so that she wouldn’t end up flying face first into them. Now, she just had to watch and wait.   
Just as Ivan was approaching the invisible wall, Ivan manoeuvred himself to the side, only for his shoulder to hit the wall with force. Ivan cried out in pain and he seemed to lose his balance. However, Ivan quickly got his bearings back after a few moments. But in that time, Freya had sped up and managed to pass him. This had been the opportunity that Freya had needed to catch up to Albus.   
When Freya was a few feet away from Albus, she noticed something that made her mentally curse. The walls were beginning to move slowly, but some of them were getting faster, moving left to right more vigorously. Freya gripped her broom tighter as she kept her eyes wide open for any movement and made sure to move with the walls and not against them. Freya had to put her wand away because she couldn’t fly and hold her broom at the same time. 

HARRY POTTER 

Harry watched the trial with a calm expression. But on the inside, he was worried. He watched as Albus managed to manoeuvre around the walls. It was hard to see unless a certain spell was used because of how high in the air they all were. As much as he was watching his son, Harry soon found his gaze trained on the young Gryffindor girl. There seemed to be a presence around her and he had noticed that some of the other participants seemed to be ignoring and avoiding her. It seemed as though all their attention was on Albus and not the girl. This confused Harry. He didn’t understand why the girl was being mostly ignored by everyone. Even Roman was ignoring the girl – who had now caught up to everyone – and was attacking everyone else with spells and not the girl.   
Leaning over to McGonagall, Harry whispered. “Who is she?” He had been given all the name of the Champions and Shield – everyone’s but hers. Harry had noticed immediately that a name was missing but he never said anything at first. After a few weeks of still not being told, Harry had gone to McGonagall but she had never told him.   
McGonagall glanced at Lance – who was watching the match with a gleeful expression – and then looked back to Harry. She shook her head, she wasn’t going to risk Lance listening in on their conversation and risk Freya getting in trouble.   
Harry frowned but nodded his head. However, McGonagall’s reactions was an indicator that something wasn’t right. Was it possible that this girl was involved in the thing that McGonagall was concerned about?

HARRY POTTER 

Freya barely missed the moving wall. She could feel the rough surface graze against her left arm as she jerked the broom to the right ever so slightly. She was trying to get her rhythm back, but she found that the walls were changing direction. Sometimes it would be left then right, but not always. Sometimes, that rhythm was shaken up and it would catch people by surprise. Taking a risk, Freya looked behind her and then quickly looked back. From the quick glance that she saw, Isaak and Alicia were out of this challenge. Just as she turned, Roman had launched an attack, knocking both Beauxbatons students off their broom. If either of them had any sense, they should use the cushioning charm so that they don’t injure themselves further. From her quick glance back, Freya noticed that Ivan and Roman were gaining on her and Albus. Looking ahead, Freya saw that the maze would soon be coming to an end which made her mentally sigh in relief.   
However, that feeling didn’t last long.   
Up ahead, Freya noticed something zooming around. For a moment, Freya didn’t class it as important, but then she noticed its shape, it was shaped like a key. It was at that moment that Freya realised what it was. It was the key that Lance had put into the challenge and it would give them a clue to what the next challenge would be. Gazing towards Albus, she saw that he was heading towards the key, his speed only getting faster as time went on. He wasn’t stopping at all, his gaze fully focused on the key.   
What Albus didn’t realise was that there was a stone wall that was heading straight for him.  
Without a second thought, Freya took out her wand. “Bombarda.” A jet of light shot out from her wand, destroying the wall that was coming towards him.   
This seemed to shake Albus’ focus. Seeing the debris coming towards him, Albus sharply tugged the broom away from debris and managed to get away in time. What Albus didn’t notice was the fact that Freya was destroying the larger pieces of debris so that he wouldn’t be injured. That moment of distraction allowed both Ivan and Roman to pass Freya and Albus with ease, and Roman had a large grin on his face that made him look deranged. However, due to Freya only holding the broom with one hand, Freya felt herself become unbalanced and she ended up smacking into the wall, her shoulder and side of her head getting most of the impact. Hissing in pain, Freya pushed herself away from the wall and continued on, ignoring the burning pain in her head and shoulder. Freya felt something wet drip from her face but she ignored this. She wiped the side of her face, making sure that it didn’t get in her eyes. Only glancing down slightly, Freya saw blood. She shook her head – making the pain in her head slightly worse – the charm in her pendant would activate soon.   
Tugging the broom to the right, Freya continued and flew onwards. She began looking around for the key, and it seemed as though Albus was doing the same thing, as he was stationary on his broom in the air. His trained Quidditch eye was watching for the slightest movement. However, neither one of them saw the key. Freya had noticed that the Durmstrang boys had got ahead of them which made her scowl darkly, which only grew darker when Roman turned his head and grinned maliciously at Albus. Roman had an item in his hands, which turned out to be Albus’ and Freya’s gold key.   
Anger flooded her system as she glared darkly at Roman. Within seconds, Freya had her wand out. “Diffindo!” She wasn’t aiming this spell at Roman himself but rather his broom. Although, she did really want to hurt him for his smugness.   
The spell hit its target, the spell slicing up the bristles of the broom, cutting off its balance. Roman seemed to be struggling to gain back to control and ended up flying into a nearby wall, knocking him off the broom and plummeting towards the ground, with the key still in hand.   
“Accio gold key,” Freya pointed her wand towards Roman. She wanted the key before it was lost to the quicksand. Freya waited for the key to leave his hand, but it never did which made Freya confused. She tried the spell again but it gained the same results as last time.   
With a scowl, Freya knew she had to abandon this goal and turned her broom around and flew onwards. In front of her, was Ivan an in front of him was Albus. Freya checked and saw that Ivan didn’t have his wand out and it didn’t seem as though he wasn’t going to attack Albus. Freya frowned at this but made sure to keep an eye on him just in case. As she examined him, Freya noticed that Ivan didn’t have a key in his hand which did make her feel slightly better.   
The finish line was in sight and Freya noticed that Eva was standing on the large platform. With one final push, Albus, Ivan and Freya made it to the finish line and flew over to the platform in the air in that order. Slowly, Freya landed and tried as best as she could to softly land her broom but she found herself nearly falling off. Tightening her grip, Freya positioned herself to jump off the broom. When her feet were safely on the platform, Freya felt herself relax that she was on something solid and her feet weren’t in the air anymore.   
Freya walked over and stood next to Albus, with Ivan on her right.   
Eva smiled when she saw them. “Congratulation on completing the second challenge. Did anyone manage to get a key?” She asked, looking at them all with an expecting expression.   
Freya, Ivan and Albus all look at one another, neither one said anything and no one had a key on them. Albus shook his head and Ivan looked to the ground. I stared directly at Eva with a blank expression, but she never questioned it.   
For a moment, it looked as though Eva was going to frown, but she stopped herself and plastered a large smile on her face instead. “Oh well. Let us go down to find out the results.” As she said this, Eva brought out her wand and waved it. Slowly, the platform began to descend down to the ground. Within seconds, they had arrived back to the ground, where they were all met with loud applauding which nearly made Freya wince at the sound.   
Turning her head, she saw that Roman, Isaak and Alicia were standing on the side, some sand still on their person. Alicia was sulking, her cheeks puffed out and she looked very annoyed. Isaak had his head facing the ground and Roman just looked mad.   
Lance cleared his throat, pointing his wand to his mouth. “Congratulations, Champions and Shields! You all did a spectacular job today.” As he finished, the crowd around him all cheered loudly in agreement.   
Harry now stood up, alongside Lance. He too had his wand aimed at his mouth, which allowed his voice to be heard over the cheering crowd. “As Albus Potter came first, he will be awarded ten points.” This announcement caused all the people from Hogwarts to erupt into loud applause. The people in Slytherin began chanting Albus’ name, more than happy with the result. However, Freya could distinctively hear James and Lily’s screams as they too shouted Albus’ name.   
For a moment, Albus looked shocked as his eyes widened. He hadn’t realised that he had actually come in first. He thought that it would have been a tie between him and Ivan because Ivan had been right behind him when they landed on the platform.   
Harry then spoke again. “As Ivan Krum came second, he will be awarded eight points.” This announcement caused the boys from Durmstrang to howl in applause.   
Ivan made no outward reaction and chose to stand with his back straight and his face void of any emotion. From the judging panel, Vladimir looked pleased   
Harry then looked down to Freya, but soon frowned. “As Hogwarts’ Shield came in third place, she will be awarded six points,” If possible, the applause grew louder. However, Vladimir and Renée’s expressions were anything but anything. Renée’s expression was especially dark as neither of her students made it to the finish line.   
Freya said nothing and just stared at the ground with a void expression. On the inside, she was surprised. She didn’t expect to make it to third place, especially with her flying skills. However, Freya was happy that she took down Roman, hoping that would knock him down a few pegs.   
Harry then looked to the other students that hadn’t finished. “However, because you three didn’t reach the finish line, you will be all awarded four points each.”   
There was a light applause, but most of the Beauxbatons didn’t look happy in the slightest. They all had sneers on their face – all except Noah who looked void of any emotion. Alicia looked at the ground, she was ashamed with her performance and Isaak looked downright embarrassed. They had been leading in the previous challenge and now they were the last place.  
However, Roman wasn’t done. “But I got a key!” He yelled out, showing the gold key still in his hand.   
Freya scowled darkly, that was her and Albus’ key.   
Lance and Harry look at each other briefly. “So you have. Well, we will award you the bonus points, Roman will receive an extra twenty points!” Lance announced after a moment of silence. This caused some outrage and cheers, but Lance seemed to ignore this.   
Harry cleared his throat. “We will now announce the results. In first place with sixty-two points is Durmstrang.” The cheers that came from this response was almost defending. Vladimir looked to be on cloud nine, he had a large grin on his face as he stood smugly at Renée and McGonagall.   
Lance cleared his throat. “In second place with fifty-two points is Hogwarts!” He announced, looking at Freya with a proud expression. Freya lightly nodded her head, acknowledging this but gave nothing else away. She was doing her job, she was staying in the middle and protecting Albus. The cheering was loud, but not as loud as before, though Freya could still hear James and Lily screaming Albus’ name.   
“In third place with forty-five points is Beauxbatons,” Harry announced, looking at the two students. Renée clapped lightly, her beautiful face void of any emotion. She wasn’t happy with the result, but she couldn’t contest it.   
“Thank you all for coming, and we shall continue this tournament in February!” Lance announced loudly. 

HARRY POTTER 

Freya took a deep breath as she walked away from the arena. It was over for the time being. Now, she just had to wait until February and she would face the third challenge along with Albus. Freya watched as James and Fred walked away from the arena and over to Harry and Albus. Harry was hugging Albus, happy to see that he was okay. Just as Freya was about to follow them, she heard someone call her name frantically. She turned her head and saw Katrina and Cordelia running over to her.   
“Freya!” Katrina cried out, panic in her eyes.   
“What happened?” Freya asked immediately, knowing something wasn’t right. Katrina was an emotional person, but it was Cordelia’s expression that tipped Freya off that something was wrong. Cordelia was a lot better at hiding her emotions, but at the moment Cordelia looked downright scared.   
“It’s Castiel. He's gone too far and is interrogating Eric Payne.” Cordelia answered with a grim expression.   
Freya frowned as annoyance filled her, which was soon replaced with anger. “Where?” Freya demanded, feeling her blood begin to boil in anger.   
“Chamber of Secrets,” Katrina said in a small tone.   
Without another word, Freya stormed off to the Chamber of Secrets with Katrina and Cordelia trailing behind her, far behind her. As she walked, her anger began to grow and grow. Her fists were clenched and her jaw clenched. Usually, she wouldn’t be this angry. But add in Freya’s tiredness from the challenge and the fact she was in pain from falling off her broom, then anyone would be angry. Castiel had outright gone against her orders and Freya wasn’t going to let him get away with that. It was about time that someone taught Castiel a lesson in respect.


	18. Chapter 18

It didn’t take that long for Freya to reach the Chamber of Secrets. Once inside, Freya was welcomed to a sight that made her blood boil further. In front of her stood Castiel, and in a chair opposite, he was Eric. Eric was tied to the chair and his face was covered in blood. Eric’s left eye was bulging and blood pouring from a wound on his head. It looked like Castiel had got very physical with Eric and had moved away from the typical torture methods using magic that had been taught in the Guardian Program. However, this had always been Castiel’s preferred method of torture. Eric was screaming in pain, something that Freya didn’t hear when she had stormed into the chamber, more than likely due to the silencing charm around the chamber.   
“For the last time, you’re going to tell me what you are planning?!” Castiel yelled at Eric, spit flying from his mouth and onto Eric’s abused face. Castiel’s face was flushed red in anger and frustration. He had been interrogating Eric for over two hours and had come up with nothing. He kept on denying everything, which only served to annoy the Guardian more.   
Eric glared at him and bared his teeth, revealing more blood. “And I said, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” He yelled back, still in visible pain. He wasn’t interested in the Triwizard Tournament. He just thought that it was another way for the Potter family to steal all the attention. That’s why he was in the Slytherin Common room just looking over some DADA homework that was due on at the end of the week. That’s all he could remember though, and the next thing he knew he was sitting in this chair with this guy he had never seen before.   
With a growl, Castiel raised his wand. “Cruc-”  
“Accio Castiel’s wand!” Freya immediately yelled out, pointing her own wand. In an instant, Castiel’s wand was yanked out of his hand and landed in Freya’s outstretched hand. She gripped the wand tighter when Castiel whirled around and glared at whoever took his wand. For a moment, his eyes widened and fear briefly flashed in his eyes, but his bravado soon came back.  
Eric’s eyes widened. “Please, help me!” He had seen a chance and there was no way he was going to mess up this opportunity. There was no way he was staying with this mad-man. However, it did cross his mind that this girl could have been even worse. Although, that thought immediately went away when he saw the look in her eyes.   
Freya motioned for Cordelia and Katrina – who were behind her – to release Eric with a quick nod of her head. As the Hufflepuff and Gryffindor got closer, Castiel took an offensive position, ready to attack. He glared at them, his narrowed gaze focused mainly on Cordelia. However, Freya already had her wand at the ready and pointed directly at the Slytherin, “Move and you will regret it.” She warned him with a severe tone. She wouldn’t hold back if Castiel tried to attack Katrina or Cordelia and she would make him pay before he could even blink. She wouldn’t put it past him either to attack – sometimes she knew Castiel better than he knew himself, that’s why she wasn’t too surprised.   
Castiel instantly stopped and watched as Cordelia and Katrina helped Eric. His eyes were narrowed as he watched this, his fists were clenched as though he wanted to stop them. Katrina and Cordelia used magic to untie the rope around Eric’s wrists and feet. While they were doing this, Cordelia used a spell to knock Eric unconscious because they didn’t need him asking questions on the way out. With that gone, they helped him up by throwing his arms over their shoulder.   
“Get him out, now,” Freya ordered, keeping her eyes trained on Castiel.   
Without a word, Cordelia and Katrina took Eric away. They supported his dead weight, each one holding his arm and shoulder as they walked out. Freya could hear Katrina and Cordelia whispering about giving Eric medical attention or either taking him to the nurse’s office. Freya didn’t see this as a problem because she knew that their pendant would activate and make him forget all about this ordeal when he woke up. He just needed to be healed and he wouldn’t even know this had ever happened to him.   
When they were gone, Freya began to speak. “What were you thinking?” She asked, her voice low in anger.   
“I was doing what was right. He is a danger to everyone and I was going to find out what he was planning.” Castiel said in a defiant tone. He fully believed that he had a right to do what he did. He had seen an opportunity and he had taken it with both hands. No one but him seemed to believe that Eric was a real threat, but Castiel planned on exposing Eric for what he truly was. Only then would Freya admit that she was wrong and she would bow to him.   
Freya scowled darkly. “The only danger I see now is standing right in front of me.” At this, Castiel flinched harshly. He knew that what he was doing was very risky. He had been surprised that he hadn’t been found out sooner. Castiel knew that if it had been any other Guardian, he could have got away with his actions, but not with Freya. But he was willing to risk punishment.   
“I also warned you not to defy me,” Freya said, the grip on her wand tightening.   
Castiel said nothing and just glared at her.   
For a moment, Freya wanted to snap his wand in half just to spite him. However, she stopped herself and slowly, a smirk spread across her face. Without another word, Freya threw Castiel’s wand right back at him.   
Castiel’s eyes widened in surprise as he caught his wand clumsily. “W-what are you doing?” He asked, looking uncertain of what was happening. For a moment, he was certain that Freya was going to blast him into the next century for his defiance. But this move just unnerved him even further because it was something he wasn’t expecting at all.   
“It’s not very honourable to knock down an opponent when they don’t even have a wand. Besides, you’ve been trying to get this fight for two years, and I am going to allow it.” Freya said, the smirk only growing on her face as she spoke.   
Castiel said nothing, but he did raise his wand. “Stupefy!” Castiel yelled, making this first move. A jet of light burst from his wand as it aimed for Freya.   
With lightning speed, Freya had uttered back a spell. “Protego.” Castiel’s offensive spell did not hit her, but the light blue shield that appeared around her. It only became visible once hit and then it disappeared. It bounced off her shield and then aimed right back at Castiel. Luckily for him, Castiel jumped out of the way, just in time.   
Just as Castiel was about to aim for another spell, Freya was already one step ahead of him. “Aguamenti.” A jet of water burst from Freya’s wand and straight to him. The powerful attack just barely missed Castiel, who jumped out of the way. However, it had caught his leg, soaking the bottoms of his trousers. He looked down at his trouser leg and scowled.   
However, Freya wasn’t done. “Depulso.” She pointed her wand directly at him and waited for the results.   
It was instantaneous; Castiel was thrown back violently, his back hitting the stone floor and making him wince visibly. He didn’t have a very soft landing and had ended up falling back into his right arm. Castiel hissed, feeling his shoulder strain under the pressure. He felt like his shoulder was going to pop out of its socket.   
Freya watched him for a moment, silently assessing the damage that she had done. “Do you see now Castiel, the difference between you and me?” Freya asked him as she walked over to him. Castiel was a powerful Guardian, but she had an extra years’ worth of training and she had parents that didn’t understand the word no. Freya had been trained to be faster and smarter than everyone else. Strength didn’t matter too much because as long as someone couldn’t hit you, their strength meant nothing and would do them no favours. She also had Lance breathing down her neck and the shadow of her sister looming over her. Freya could not be weak, otherwise, she would die; weakness meant death in the Guardian Program and even more so for her.   
Castiel snarled and raised his wand. “Confringo.”   
Freya moved out of the way smoothly, making the attack miss her.   
Castiel tightened the grip on his wand and tried again. “Confringo!”   
Again, Freya flawlessly moved out of the way in time, before the spell could even touch her.   
Gritting his teeth, Castiel tried again and put a lot of force behind this last spell. “Confringo!” An orange, fire-like light burst from his wand and was aimed at Freya. The light was large, indicating to how much force he had put behind that spell.  
However, the third attack missed once more. Freya almost seemed to be dancing around him, taunting him. She wasn’t even using a spell to defend herself; she was just moving out of the way like a graceful swan. Castiel looked down at his soaked trouser leg; he hadn’t been able to evade quick enough from her attack like she was doing with him. This just seemed to highlight the power difference between the two Guardians. They have made it into the same program, but that didn’t mean they were equal.   
Freya stopped and saw the look of despair in his eyes; something that she hadn’t seen before in Castiel. “Is that it? I thought you had more fight in you than that.” Freya said, taunting him with that smirk on her face.   
This seemed to snap Castiel out of his daze. He stood up and aimed his wand again. “Expelliarmus!” A jet of green light shoots out from his wand, aiming for Freya.   
Freya easily raised her wand. “Protego.” The spell hit her shield and sent it right back at him.   
Castiel barely managed to dodge his own attack being sent back at him. Just as Castiel got his bearings back, he was about to raise his wand, but Freya had already beaten him to it.  
“Bombarda Maxima.” Freya pointed her wand at Castiel. A loud noise resonated from Freya’s wand, it almost sounded like metal hitting metal. However, because Freya was used to this sound, she didn’t have to worry about her eye drums bursting.   
Pain exploded on his shoulder, causing Castiel to scream. His hand immediately went to the area that was in pain. There was no blood, but his shoulder was killing him. It felt like someone had stabbed him in the shoulder.   
“Depulso,” Freya said once more, her wand pointed at the Slytherin. A powerful burst shot out from her wand and was aimed directly at him.   
Castiel attempted to use a Shielding spell, but the spell hit him too quick for him to even raise his wand. With a groan, Castiel was sent flying back further into the Chamber of Secrets. He landed on his side painfully, causing him to cry out in pain once more.   
Freya watched Castiel for a moment, watched as he struggled to get up. He had been thrown around quite a few times and had landed very hard. Not to mention he was draining his magic very quickly and he hadn’t even used that many spells. Castiel’s issue was that he put too much magical energy into one spell, meaning that he tired himself out quickly and that’s why he could never last long in a duel. However, Freya could see that he wasn’t going to give up without a push, something Freya was more than happy to deliver.   
“Carpe Retractum.” Having had enough, Freya raised her wand. Rope shot out from her wand and wrapped itself around Castiel, immobilising him. Castiel struggled against the rope, but it only grew tighter the more he struggled.   
Freya walked over to the Slytherin. “Do you yield?” She asked, her wand still pointed at him.   
Castiel said nothing but bared his teeth in a challenging manner. He wasn’t going to yield. He would find a way out of these ropes and he would make Freya pay for this. He glared at her with hatred in his eyes.   
Freya rolled her eyes, expecting this reaction. “Levicorpus.”  
Castiel let out a yelp as he was lifted into the air by his feet. He attempted to struggle, even more, doubling his efforts, but he stopped when he realised how far up in the air he was. He looked down and saw that Freya was moving him towards the water of the Chamber. Castiel also took notice of the fact his wand was on the ground, nowhere near him.   
“Do you yield?” Freya asked once more, her tone more teasing. She knew that he had no choice, he had been out duelled and was now defenceless against her.   
Gritting his teeth, Castiel nodded his head. Saying nothing, Freya nodded her head, accepting this answer. She knew that she wasn’t going to get a verbal answer from him. Castiel’s pride and ego was far too wounded to even speak. Turning around, Freya was taken aback for a moment. At the entrance of the Chamber stood all the Guardians. They had been watching the entire time with baited breaths. They all stared at Freya – the younger ones in fear and the older ones in awe – but not one of them made a move to help Castiel. Freya took notice of Katrina, Cordelia and Ryan among them. Cordelia seemed as though she was trying to hold back her laughter, looking at Castiel with the smuggest and amused expression. Ryan also seemed to be amused, but it was Katrina that didn’t look amused in the slightest.   
Taking a breather, Freya decided to address the Guardians. “I warned Castiel not to go after Eric and yet he did so anyway. This is his last warning.” Freya said and looked to Castiel as she said this last part. Castiel and Freya made eye contact. “Pull another stunt like this again and I won’t hold back,” Freya said, her tone chilling and icy. Freya and Castiel continued to stare at one another, neither one giving in. However, after a few seconds, Castiel looked away from her. Satisfied, Freya turned around and walked out of the Chamber with her head held high.   
As she walked towards the Guardians, they parted away from her, giving her space. 

HARRY POTTER 

It was only when Freya reached the Gryffindor common room and entered her dorm room did Freya truly relax. Freya sat on her bed, all the fatigue hitting her at that moment. She had been running on adrenaline for the past few hours and now she could feel her energy leaving her. Freya was exhausted. She had been tired before her duel with Castiel and now she was even more drained than before. Moving on the bed, Freya winced in pain. She had really done a number on herself when she had fallen off her broom in the challenge. Her pendant had helped heal her, thanks to McGonagall’s extra spells. But that didn’t make the injury any less painful. If it hadn’t have been for that wall, she just may have fallen into the quicksand, much like Isaak, Alicia and Roman had.   
“Just two more challenges. Just two more and then this will be all over.” Freya muttered softly to herself. She just had to make it through this year and then it would all be over. She wouldn’t have to guard Albus and she could go back to watching over James. She could back to her normal life of watching and being James’ shadow. For years, this thought used to give her comfort. However, Freya didn’t find that much comfort in this thought and this caused a heavy feeling to settle on her chest.   
A soft meow brought Freya out of her daze. Turning her head, Freya spotted Sapphie on the bed, looking at with her large green eyes.   
“I’m okay, Sapphie.” Freya muttered softly, petting her tabby cat. Sapphie purred loudly, happy for the attention that she was receiving. Watching her cat purr happily made the edges of her mouth twitch, but that immediately stopped when she heard someone come into the dorm room. 

HARRY POTTER 

That same day 

Harry arrived in McGonagall’s office soon after the challenge was over. Harry had congratulated his son and checked to see if he was okay. James had rushed over too, also worried for his younger brother. But during this flurry of events, Harry had noticed that McGonagall had slipped out of the arena without anyone noticing and at first, this didn’t concern Harry. However, he became worried when he also noticed that Lance had slipped out of the arena too. Harry didn’t like how slippery Lance could be. Harry had arrived in the office to find no one, but he decided to wait. As Harry was walking around, he heard two approaching voice – one belonging to McGonagall and the other to Lance Johnson. For a moment, Harry mentally cursed before hiding behind a wall nearby so no one could see him. He had hidden just in time. Just then, McGonagall and Lance entered the office, appearing to be arguing.   
“I will not tolerate lying, McGonagall. What did Mr Potter ask you?” Lance demanded, his gazed narrowed on the headmistress.   
McGonagall rolled her eyes. “And as I said before, that is none of your concern.” For a moment, McGonagall’s gaze flickered to the side of the room, where Harry was currently hiding. She then turned her gaze back to Lance, hoping that he didn’t notice her eyes moving.  
Harry felt himself grin. Of course, McGonagall would notice that something was amiss in her own office. She was very observant and she would recognise his magical signature as Harry was only concealing it slightly. Just as long as Lance didn’t notice him then everything should be okay.   
Lance sneered. “Of course it is my concern. Now, tell me.” He demanded once more, his tone becoming more forceful.   
McGonagall returned his stare with her own glare. “I will not be intimated by you of all people.”   
Harry silently cheered in his mind. Though, he did find it surprising to see Lance in such a state. In the Ministry, Lance was also seen as a calm and put together individual. Many of the women saw him as charming and dashing. Lance was a respected Auror, which only served to make him a well-respected member of the Ministry. However, seeing this right now made Harry suspicious. What else could Lance be hiding behind his mask?  
Lance took a deep breath. “Don’t make me bring the Guardians back here. I wouldn’t want to interrupt their studies.” He said, the threat clear in his tone.   
Harry frowned, ‘Guardians?’ He had heard something similar before and this triggered a memory. Harry cast his thoughts back to a week ago, he had seen something very similar on Kingsley’s desk but was interrupted from seeing the rest of the letter because Lance had disturbed him. However, it was the last part of his sentence that disturbed Harry the most. Was it possible that the ‘Guardians’ were students? Harry immediately shook his head, they couldn’t possibly be. Why would students in Hogwarts be in involved with something in the Ministry?  
McGonagall said nothing for a moment, but mentally she was cursing Lance. This is what she hated. No matter how much McGonagall fought with him, Lance would always play dirty and involve the children in the matter to make her yield. “Mr Potter was asking if I had been invited to the Christmas Party you are hosting.” McGonagall eventually replied back with a sigh in her tone.   
Lance frowned and glared at her, “Are you sure?”   
“Positive,” McGonagall replied back dryly.   
“And why didn’t you just say that?” Lance asked, a look of suspicious on his face.   
McGonagall sighed. “I didn’t see it as important.”  
For a few seconds, McGonagall and Lance just stared at one another, neither one willing to give in. Eventually, Lance nodded his head and left the room, happy with the information that he had gathered. It was only when Lance was out of sight, and when McGonagall couldn’t feel his magical signature did she finally relax. She sighed deeply and sat down on her chair behind her desk, happy that Lance was no longer in her office. However, she wasn’t alone and now she had to deal with him too.   
“You can come out Mr Potter,” McGonagall said after a few seconds of silence.   
Harry slowly moved out of his hiding spot. “Well, that was interesting. Are you alright?” Harry asked, moving over to the seats in front of McGonagall’s desk. As he looked at her, he saw the exhaustion in her eyes, it was as though that conversation with Lance had taken years off her.   
McGonagall rolled her eyes. “I am fine, Mr Potter.”   
Harry nodded his head and frowned. What Lance had said was still on his mind, “McGonagall, when Lance referred to Guardians, was he talking about students here?” Harry asked, looking at her with a curious expression. What Lance had said was still bugging him and Harry wanted an answer.   
“I am sorry, Mr Potter but I cannot answer that,” McGonagall said, looking at her desk. She wanted to tell him so badly, but she knew she couldn’t. She had to take every precaution possible so that it didn’t come back on her.   
“But why?” Harry pressed further.   
McGonagall looked at him directly in the eyes, “Mr Potter, you must find this out for yourself. This has been a well-kept secret for many years and no one has said a thing. Mr Johnson would immediately know that I said something and the consequences would be very dire. You need to uncover this yourself.” McGonagall knew that she couldn’t help Harry out that much anyway because she had only been told certain things and had witnessed certain things. Lance had only told her things that she needed to know as she is the Headmistress of Hogwarts and that’s why Lance would immediately know she had said something. McGonagall had already risked the student’s lives by going to see Harry in the first place, but it needed to be done as to get the ball rolling on the situation. McGonagall wouldn’t test fate a second time.   
Harry frowned, but accepted the answer. “And my other question from earlier?” Harry asked, referring back to the challenge they had just come from. He was talking about the girl who volunteered to be Albus’ Shield in the Tournament.   
For a moment, McGonagall was silent. She didn’t know if she could tell him this information. She had avoided telling Lance the truth because she didn’t want him to worry, because if Lance got worried then he would get defensive. It would result in Lance becoming wary of Harry and this could possibly ruin any chance of Harry investigating in secret and without scrutiny. However, it was perfectly normal that Harry wanted to know the name of Hogwarts’ Shield since he hadn’t been told.   
“Her name is Freya Williams,” McGonagall answered eventually.   
Harry nodded his head, keeping that name in mind to look into later.   
McGonagall stood from her seat. “Now, if you will excuse me. I have some business to attend to. And Mr Potter, when you leave my office, make sure no one sees you.” McGonagall said with a severe expression. The last thing she needed was Lance knowing that Harry was in her office just after he left.   
Harry frowned but understood what she was saying.  
Without another word, McGonagall left her office.   
Harry stood up and got ready to leave, but a voice stopped him. “Mr Potter, a moment of your time.” Said the voice of Albus Dumbledore from one of the many portraits that hung on the wall in the room. He had been watching the entire time and he felt now was a good time to intervene.   
Harry looked up with a curious expression.   
“The answer to your first question is yes,” Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling in his portrait.   
For a moment, Harry said nothing but then his eyes widen. “Thank you,” Harry said before leaving, making sure that no one saw him.   
The portrait of Severus Snape sighed. “I thought you said we shouldn’t intervene, Dumbledore?” He asked the scowl still permanently on his face.   
Dumbledore chuckled. “I did say that. But there is nothing wrong with a little nudge every now and again.”  
Snape sighed and just shook his head.


	19. Chapter 19

The next day 

Harry stood in his office and was looking out of the window. His hands were behind his back as he watched the children in the street play happily. This house that he and Ginny had purchased was hidden away in a Muggle Street – protected with various magical charms. Harry and Ginny could have chosen to live in a magical community but they had both wanted their children to have a normal childhood and to grow up with other children. But Harry knew that their last name would follow them and he didn’t want his children to be defined by the Potter name – and Ginny was in full agreement. Ginny had experienced first-hand what it was like to be targeted by reporters because of her last name. There were many stories of Ginny being a gold-digger and that she was using Harry for fame.   
There was a knock on his office door, pulling Harry away from his thoughts. “Yes,” Harry said, making his voice slightly louder so that he could be heard.   
The door opened and two figures entered the room. It was Ron and Hermione.   
Harry smiled when he saw them. “Nice to see that you’re on time as always.” He said with humour in his tone. His gaze cast over to the clock and saw that they were at least ten minutes late, but Harry had come to expect that from Ron.   
Ron’s cheeks flushed slightly.   
Hermione rolled her eyes, but they still held affection in them. “Ron wanted to stop off for something to eat.” She said placing her hands on her hips in exasperation.   
“Can you blame me? I’m starving!” Ron exclaimed holding a hand over his stomach. They had been rushed off their feet all day and Hermione wouldn’t let him stop and eat. She couldn’t believe that he was thinking of his stomach of all times.   
Harry chuckled. “How about I cook us something after this meeting?” He felt guilty that they hadn’t eaten. Harry knew that as soon as Hermione got into an investigation then she wouldn’t stop for anything whereas Ron liked to eat will investigating.   
Ron grinned as his eyes lit up. Harry’s cooking was amazing and he was glad to hear his little sister wasn’t going to be cooking. Ron loved Ginny dearly, but she was a disaster in the kitchen and had definitely not inherited their mother’s skill in cooking. He didn’t know what Ginny did, but she always made the food either too salty or it literally tasted of nothing. Hermione smiled and nodded her head, happy to finally get something to eat. If Ron had got his way, they would have stopped by a burger joint which would have only made them later than they already were. Hermione hated being late for anything.   
“How was today?” Harry asked, getting straight to business.   
Hermione and Ron sat down and Harry sat down at his desk. Harry had asked them a favour; to find information about Freya Williams. From the previous conversation that Harry had with McGonagall and Dumbledore’s portrait, Harry was sure that Freya had something to do with the Guardian Program. Harry had wanted to investigate himself but the Ministry was pilling work onto him and he was busy being a judge for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Hermione and Ron had volunteered to help to which Harry was extremely grateful for.   
“That’s the thing, Harry. We found nothing.” Hermione said with a frown.   
Harry looked at her with a confused expression. “What?”  
Ron sighed deeply. “It’s like the girl doesn’t exist. We can’t find any records of her. No birth certificate, no wand trace no nothing. There wasn’t even a death certificate.” He and Hermione had checked this multiple times because they couldn’t believe what they found. It was as if this girl didn’t exist all. They had found the records of Rupert and Vivienne Williams – the only Pureblood family with that last name – but no children had been registered by them at all. They had also checked the records of other Williams’ families that weren’t from Pureblood heritage and the name Freya came up nowhere. For a moment, Ron had wondered if Harry had got the name wrong but he knew that Harry wasn’t that sloppy. Harry was an amazing Auror and he wouldn’t make that rooky mistake of getting the name wrong. They also trusted that Dumbledore’s portrait wouldn’t lead them astray either.   
Harry leaned back in his seat, “How can this be? I have watched her in the Tournament, she definitely exists.”  
Hermione shook her head. “We don’t doubt that Harry.”   
“But we did find out something.” Ron said, “We found out that Rupert and Vivienne Williams were ex-Death Eaters, but they were never convicted or went on trial. From old records that I had found, it seems as though they were pretty big supporters of Voldemort, even bigger than the Malfoys.” It took everything in Ron not to flinch at the Dark Lord’s name. Even years after Voldemort’s defeat, Ron still struggled to say his name out loud.   
The room went silent for a while. Everyone was really taking in this information. Harry couldn’t believe what he was hearing. After the Second Wizarding War, years were spent rounding up ex-Death Eaters. It had been a long and exhausting job as far as everyone was concerned, there weren’t any more ex-Death Eaters still unprosecuted. The question that was swirling around Harry’s head at the moment was how, how could they have missed the Williams?  
“There is something else too,” Hermione said with a worried expression.   
Harry frowned. “What else is there?”   
Hermione bit her lip. “We found traces of foul play. Someone has been tampering with some records in the Ministry and destroying them. It isn’t very noticeable and no one would know unless they were looking for foul play.”   
This shook Harry. There was foul play going on the Ministry and he didn’t even know about it. Knowing that this had been going on for god knows how long was painful to hear. Eventually, Harry nodded his head. “Thank you or doing this, it was really helpful.” He said, his voice sincere. Sometimes he did wonder where he would be without his friends. Ron and Hermione always had his back whenever they went on missions together.   
“So, what’s the next step?” Ron asked.   
Harry sighed deeply. “At first I thought to talk to Freya Williams face to face, but I have decided against it.”  
Hermione nodded her head, understanding his reason. “She is a minor so it would be against the law to interrogate her about anything.” Also, she had a feeling that it would be more dangerous to talk to Freya. McGonagall’s warning was still fresh in all their minds and they weren’t going to risk it. They all knew they had to be careful. But the more and more Hermione uncovered, she couldn’t help but feel fascinated. She couldn’t help but wonder what this Ministry’s aims and objectives were.   
“It’s Johnson that I am concerned about. I mean, what else is that prat hiding?” Ron questioned with a frown.   
Harry looked over at the calendar on his wall. It was early in December and Lance’s party wouldn’t be until the twenty-sixth of December. “The Christmas Party. It’s going to be held at Lance’s estate, we can look for more clues then.” Harry said, looking back at his friends.   
Hermione nodded her head in agreement. “He will be busy hosting. It would be a perfect opportunity.”  
“So, what should we do until then?” Ron asked.   
Harry stood up. “Keep your eyes sharp. Stay hidden and see if you can find were the people disappear in the Ministry. If we could actually find this department then it could unlock some secrets.” He had tried to follow some people who looked suspicious but it didn’t end well. But if more people were on the lookout then maybe they could find it. Harry had spent hours looking at camera footage of the Ministry and had come up with nothing. It seemed as though this entrance to the secret Ministry was just out of shot of the cameras. 

HARRY POTTER 

The next day 

Freya stood in one of the many classrooms with her other sixth year Gryffindor students. The girls were stood on one side of the room and the boys sat on the other side of the room. Freya sat with her arms crossed over her chest, waiting to find out why they had all been called there. The Gryffindors had been pulled out from DADA for this – which was Freya’s favourite lesson – and to say that she wasn’t pleased was an understatement. However, Cordelia looked happy to get out of DADA and was excited to see what was going to happen. Everyone around them was chatting loudly, they were all speculating about why they were there.   
Teddy stood in the middle between the boys and the girls. He smiled and cleared his throat, getting everyone’s attention. “Quiet down! Quiet down!” The noise immediately disappeared and everyone now looked at the young professor.   
Freya turned to face Teddy but she soon scowled and looked away from him.   
“Now, it is a tradition that during the Tri-Wizard Tournament that we have the Yule Ball. With a Ball comes dancing and I am here to teach you how at least for the people who don’t already know.” Teddy said, sending a smirk in James and Fred’s direction.   
Fred flushed red for a moment while James smirked cockily. Their families had attended Balls for years so Ginny had thought it would be great to teach them how to dance. George had heard what his baby sister was doing and thought that it would be funny if his son Fred joined in. James had picked it up quite quickly, but Fred was a mess. His long limbs were not doing him no favours and he was very clumsy.   
“And that’s why I am going to be teaching you today,” Teddy asked, smiling over at the girls and the boys in the class.   
This created a flurry of noise. Most girls began to whisper to one another, all wondering if Professor Lupin would personally teach them. There were only a few girls that weren’t whispering this nonsense – and they were Freya and Cordelia. Freya sneered darkly and turned her head away, there was no way she was going to dance with Teddy Lupin of all people. Freya turned her head and glared at all the begging girls. Honestly, it was pathetic. Now, they were just giving her a headache because they sounded like a pack of wild dogs in heat and it didn’t sound attractive at all in the slightest. Freya looked over to the boy’s side and she found that most of the boys seemed to be agreeing with her.   
Teddy’s smile grew wider. “And here to help today’s lessons is my wife, Victoire.” He said turning around just at the exact moment his wife walked into the room.   
Victoire Lupin née Weasley was a beautiful woman; there was no denying that. Her light blonde hair fell delicately and framed her face wonderfully. Her large blue eyes seemed to sparkle with life. She was tall and had an hourglass figure. Though, her physical appearance was enhanced because she was an eighth Veela.   
Freya’s eyes trailed down to Victoire’s stomach and there was a slight bump that wasn’t noticeable unless you were looking directly at her stomach. A feeling of resentment filled Freya as she glared at the Veela. The unborn child was causing so many problems in the Guardian program and Lance wasn’t handling it very well. Freya only felt pity for the poor sod that was going to be that child’s Guardian. Taking a quick glance, Freya felt the magical signature of Teddy and Victoire’s Guardian – they were well hidden but she knew that they were nearby.   
Many of the males in class began whispering to one another. They were all talking about how gorgeous this woman was – only Fred and James did not because that was their cousin. However, the girls in the room did not look happy, now they were going to miss the opportunity to dance with the attractive professor.   
“Thank you for coming, dear,” Teddy said, walking over to Victoire and kissing her on the cheek.   
“It would be my pleasure,” Victoire said with a smile before sending glances to the girls in the room. She knew that her husband was attractive and one of the many reasons she said yes to helping out with this lesson was to stick a visible claim on Teddy.   
Teddy smirked, he knew exactly what Victoire was doing here and what she was thinking. Both turned back to the students. “I and Victoire will demonstrate for you and then you all will be given a chance to have a go.” He said, smiling at all his students. With a flick of Teddy’s wand, music began to play softly in the background. The music was low but it had a very basic beat, one that would be easy to dance to. He turned to face Victoire and held his hand out, “Care you dance, milady?” Teddy asked, a grin forming on his face.   
Victoire giggled. “Gladly, my good sir.” She placed her hand on his and he softly closed his fingers over her hand. They walked elegantly to the middle room where they could be seen by all the students. Once in place, they turned to each other so they are chest to chest. Now, Victoire raised her hand to rest it on Teddy’s shoulder and he rested his other hand on her waist.   
“Now, there are two positions we could take. I could place both hands on Victoire’s waist or like this. It depends on what is most comfortable for you and your partner.” Teddy said, putting both hands on her waist before putting them back where they were previously. He looked at his students, just to make sure that they were actually listening and when he saw that they were and he was happy so he turned back to face his wife.   
Teddy and Victoire began to move, with Teddy taking the leading role. Teddy stepped forward and the Veela moved back flawlessly. When Teddy would move backwards, Victoire would follow with ease and thus begun the dance. For a moment, they both seemed to forget that they were meant to be teaching as now they began moving around the room as the soft music began to pick up slightly. They were staring at each other in the eyes lovingly.   
Freya rolled her eyes and didn’t pay much attention because she didn’t need to be sickened by their display of obvious affection. Of course, she knew how to dance and that was because of her parents. She and her family would constantly have to attend balls and events that Lance threw and it would be have been unsightly if Freya didn’t know how to dance – keeping in mind that Freya was only three years old when her mother saw it unfit for Freya to act like a child.   
Cordelia was staring at them in awe, her eyes widened with how graceful that they were moving. She had never been the most graceful of person so to see it in real life was amazing.   
As the music began to fade, Teddy and Victoire started to slow down until they came to a stop altogether. They faced the students and bowed to them, indicating that the dance was over. People began to clap politely. Many of the girls did so reluctantly – some of them glaring at Victoire in jealousy. James and Fred wolf whistled and clapped.   
“Okay, now it’s your turn. Do I have any volunteers?” Teddy asked, looking at all his students with a hopeful expression. The room went silent and instantly and all the students instantly turned their gazes to the ground, not wanting to volunteer. Even Fred was looking at the ground, not wanting to be picked on.   
Freya looked around the room and rolled her eyes at everyone’s attitude. As far as she was concerned, they were all wusses.   
James seemed to be thinking the same thing. He sighed loudly and stood up, “I’ll do it.” He said shrugging his shoulders.   
Teddy smiled, grateful that someone actually volunteered. He understood that teenagers may feel embarrassed about dancing with the opposite gender – Teddy could remember the days when his hair would change colour in embarrassment. Victoire didn’t look surprised at all, she knew that her younger cousin would waste no time in showing off to everyone.   
“Now, what about the females, any volunteers?” Victoire asked, now looking at the girls. She smirked and waited for the reaction that would happen. Victoire knew how much of a player James was and wasn’t surprised when nearly all the girl’s eyes brightened.   
This sent the girls into a frenzy. Nearly all the girls had their hands raised, some of them begging to be chosen. Freya rolled her eyes and leaned further back into her seat.   
“Pick me! Pick me!”   
“Don’t pick her! Pick me!”  
Teddy watched the girls, looking at each and every one. After a few moments of debating, he made his decision. “Miss Lucas, please come down.” He said, nodding his head in her direction.   
Chloe Lucas shot up from her seat with a smug expression. She was a tall girl with long brown hair and green eyes. Instantly, Freya recognised her. Chloe was best friends with Courtney Lilly and was a very big fan of James – almost as bad as Courtney. Freya looked at Courtney and found that she was looking at the ground, not even looking in James’ direction and this caused Freya to smirk. It would seem that her little warning had an effect because Courtney had been leaving James well alone ever since.   
James and Chloe stood in front of one another and with guidance, they got into position and began to move to the music that Victoire had started to play. Chloe seemed to be on cloud nine, a smug glint in her eyes. She was shooting superior gazes at the girls. However, Freya had noticed that Chloe’s hands were wandering, she almost seemed to be feeling James up.   
Freya’s gazed narrowed at this display. She took notice of James’ expression and he was smirking. Anyone who looked at James would think that he was enjoying the attention, but Freya knew better. James was unconsciously leaning away from Chloe.   
Teddy seemed to have noticed this and stepped in before Freya could. “Looks good you two. How about we give some other people a go.” Teddy said, walking over to them. Victoire was watching the two sixth year Gryffindors with narrowed eyes, particularly at the girl.   
Chloe pouted and moved away from James, albeit reluctantly. James instantly relaxed once she was away from him.   
“Now, I want you all to stand up and give it a go,” Teddy said, motioning for everyone to get up from their seats.   
All the students got up and slowly moved around the room, picking a partner. Freya walked over to a random Gryffindor and got into position. The male got into position rather clumsily and was flushed red in embarrassment. When the guy placed his hand on her waist, Freya flinched and had to force herself to calm down. Looking around the room, she could see that everyone was partnered up. James was with another girl and luckily not with Chloe. Chloe seemed to be miffed about this and was staring directly at the poor girl who was James’ dance partner. Victoire flicked her wrist and music began to play softly in the background. Freya rolled her eyes and let the guy take the lead and he nearly stepped on her foot. Freya glared at the male viciously, which caused him to flinch harshly.  
Cordelia wasn’t having much luck either. Unlike Freya, she didn’t know how to dance and was therefore really struggling. It didn’t help that her partner wasn’t very skilled either. Both Cordelia and her partner were nearly falling over due to the bad footing.   
After a few more moments of dancing, Teddy clapped his hands loudly. “Now, switch!”   
Freya felt herself relax when the guy moved away from her. In her opinion, this guy was really inexperienced and was giving her more of a headache. There were a few times that Freya wanted to take the lead because of how badly the guy was leading. Looking around the room, Freya spotted Chloe and she was heading straight for James again, a determined expression in her green eyes. Freya instantly knew that she was up to no good and she didn’t like that predatory look in Chloe’s eyes. Luckily, Freya was close to James – maybe about a few arm’s lengths away. She spotted a girl on her own and took the opportunity. When no one was looking, Freya took out her wand and waved it, muttering a spell under her breath. This spell gently pushed a nearby girl into James’ arms and it stopped Chloe right in her tracks.   
Smirking, Freya grabbed her next partner and began to dance. 

HARRY POTTER 

Once the lesson was over, everyone dispersed from the classroom. It had been a special event but that didn’t mean they got to miss any other lessons. Freya watched as James and Fred left the room along with everyone else. She also kept an eye on Chloe and watched as she left the room and headed up the nearby set of stairs.   
Cordelia stopped walking and turned to face her. “What’s wrong?”   
“I’ll catch up,” Freya said to her.   
Cordelia nodded her head, “I will keep an eye on James for you.” She said, turning around to follow after both Fred and James. She had an idea of what Freya was going to do and Cordelia fully approved. Chloe was getting far too close to James and being very touchy with him.   
Without another word, Freya followed Chloe. Freya kept a close distance behind and watched as she strutted to her next lesson. Chloe had this air of confidence around her. Chloe ended jumping into a younger year Hufflepuff and snarled at the poor student. The Hufflepuff ran off with tears prickling in her eyes. Freya did not like any of James’ fangirls but there were a few that stood out and not for good reasons, one of the being Courtney Lilly and the second Chloe Lucas. Courtney was no longer an issue but Chloe was starting to become one now. Some girls – like Courtney – tended to take things too far by trying to forcefully make James theirs. That’s when Freya would step in and stop them in their tracks.   
As Freya followed the Gryffindor, she began thinking about the punishment she was going to give her. It was at that moment that Chloe flicked her hair. It was long and silky and it was Chloe’s pride and joy. Freya knew that she had been spending years on her hair and she was constantly touching it and messing with in lesson – something that annoyed Freya greatly. With that in mind, a smirk grew on Freya’s face. Now, she just had to wait for the perfect moment to strike.   
It didn’t take too long for that opportunity to arise. Eventually, Chloe was walking down an empty hallway with no one else around them. Freya looked around and saw no one and she knew that she had to strike now.   
Taking her wand out, Freya pointed it at Chloe. “Calvorio.” A red light appeared at the end of her wand. The effect was instantaneous. The long hair on Chloe’s head began to fall out onto the floor until there was no hair on her head anymore.   
For a moment, Chloe didn’t notice but when she did, she stopped dead in her tracks. Freya watched smugly as Chloe shakily reached up with her hands and touched her head only for her to feel a smooth bald head. An unearthly shriek shot out from Chloe’s mouth as she ran down the hall.   
Freya smirked and felt happy with the results.   
“Well, that’s a little mean.”   
Freya turned her head and saw Logan Phillips – Teddy Lupin’s Guardian, his third one at that. He was a tall man and looked be around twenty-two years old. He had short brown hair and brown eyes. When she saw him, Freya scowled. “What do you want?” She asked, already not wanting to deal with him. She didn’t like Logan and he didn’t like her – never had and never will.   
Logan smirked and leaned against the nearby wall. “Just wondering what you’re doing so far away from James.” He said in an airy manner but that was a hidden threat in his tone. One that Freya easily recognised.   
“And I could ask you the same thing.” Freya fired back, her gaze narrowed.   
Logan frowned and soon his gaze narrowed.   
“Cut to the chase and tell me what you want, Phillips,” Freya said impatiently. She didn’t want to spend too long in his presence because being near him disgusted and angered her. Being near him just brought in bad memories that she did not want to relive.  
At that moment, the playful demeanour disappeared and what was left was a calm Logan. His stare became icy as he stared directly at Freya. “What is Lance planning for Teddy and Victoire’s child?” He demanded harshly.   
Freya arched a brow. “How am I meant to know?”   
Logan scoffed. “Oh come off it, you’re Lance’s favourite. He has more than likely told you something.”  
Freya was silent for a moment. A rush of resentment filled her. That’s what she was labelled as by everyone in the Guardian Program, the favourite. Freya hated it. People treated her differently and the only people that got the benefit for that title was her parents whereas Freya was just left the envy of all the other Guardians. The amount of Guardians that had gone after Freya and her title was ridiculous. Teddy’s second Guardian had also gone after her and now the third was doing the same thing.   
“If Lance hasn’t said anything to you then neither am I,” Freya said coldly. She turned her back and began walking away because she refused to be around him for a moment longer. As Freya walked away, she felt movement behind her. Suddenly, Freya whirled around with her wand pointed at Logan’s throat, who was now just inches away from her. Logan also had his wand, but it was pointed in the air and he appeared to be shocked.   
“Try it and see what happens.” Freya hissed lowly, a dangerous glint in her stormy grey eyes.   
Logan’s jaw tightened, he had been out-manoeuvred. He couldn’t believe that this little brat had been faster than him. He had blinked and all of a sudden he had a wand pointed at his throat. He had expected Freya to be good but not this good.   
“And what is going on here?” Asked a third voice.   
Both Freya and Logan turned to see Amy stood not too far away from them. She had her arms crossed over her chest and her brows were raised. She had watched the whole exchange and was ready to jump in if Logan went too far, but she found that she didn’t need to.   
“Absolutely nothing important,” Freya said dryly before putting her wand away and leaving. Her footsteps echoing in the corridor until they couldn’t be heard anymore.   
Once she was gone, Amy turned to Logan. “What the hell were you thinking?” She hissed at him in anger.   
Logan scowled. “I was trying to find out more information.” After announcing the news of Teddy and Victoire’s pregnancy, Lance hadn’t shared anything else about the subject. Logan wanted to know what was happening next because there was an air of uncertainty that was extremely unsettling.  
Amy rolled her eyes. “You know not to approach Freya. She is loyal to Lance.” As she said this, her voice became low and whisper like.   
“Is she though?” Logan questioned back, cocking his eyebrow in the air.   
Amy went quiet and stared at him with a blank expression.


	20. Chapter 20

A few days later 

All the Guardians were gathered in the Chamber of Secrets. They were all giving an update of what was happening and if anything had changed, but there was nothing noteworthy. All the charges seemed to be getting along with everything and there didn’t seem to be any danger like there had been in the previous months. Freya was keeping an eye on Castiel and she wasn’t surprised when he refused to meet her eyes after losing a duel with her. If it was any other typical Guardians meeting then it would have been dismissed there and then because there wouldn’t be anything else to discuss. However, there was a topic that needed to be addressed and it was about the Yule Ball that was happening much later that day.   
Freya cleared her throat, immediately getting everyone’s attention. “As you all know, the Yule Ball will be happening tonight. However, we need to be on guard as usual.” Freya said, looking at everyone as she said this. As she did so, she noticed that many people wouldn’t look her in the eyes which made her frown. Turning her gaze to Katrina, Freya found that the Hufflepuff wouldn’t meet her gaze at all. Freya then looked at Ryan and Cordelia and found the exact same results. For a moment, Freya thought that people were avoiding her gaze because of the duel she and Castiel had, but Cordelia and Ryan wouldn’t have avoided her gaze.   
“Either someone tells me what’s going on or I will force it out of you all,” Freya said icily, her cold and harsh gaze looking at everyone.   
Some Guardian’s flinched at her tone. They could feel her gaze and it only made some of them shift on the spot with nerves.   
Freya looked around the room, her gaze landing on Katrina. “Katrina, what is going on?” She asked, knowing that the Hufflepuff wouldn’t be able to lie to her.   
Katrina bit her lip and sighed deeply. “Freya, we want a break.” She said hesitantly because she didn’t know how the older Gryffindor would take this.   
Freya looked at all the Guardians in front of her, feeling shocked quite frankly. Of all the things that Freya was expecting, she never expected this. “You… want a break?” Freya asked, almost hesitantly. For a moment she didn’t know if she had heard right.   
Katrina nodded her head. “We do. We all just want to enjoy the Yule ball and be like everyone else for once!” Many other Guardians nodded their heads. The younger ones were sending her pleading looks whereas the older Guardians were more cautious.   
Freya was silent and began to think. Tonight would the perfect time to do it. Lance was back in the Ministry sorting out the details of the next challenge for the Tournament. Logan and Amy weren’t in the castle anymore because Teddy and Victoire were having a break from Hogwarts for tonight. Freya mentally shook her head, dismissing these thoughts. She wouldn’t entertain them because they were Guardians – they couldn’t just take a day off. However, Freya was intrigued on how they planned to do this. “And how would you do that?” Freya arched a brow, looking at Katrina as she seemed to be the one to instigate this.   
There was a silence in the room for a moment.   
Richard Braxton – Lorcan Scamander’s fourth Guardian and Lucy’s replacement. He was a second year Slytherin. He was a small boy with short ginger hair with blue eyes. Richard raised his hand in the air. “What if we take off the pendants?” He suggested shyly, looking at everyone in the room. When someone made eye contact with him, he looked to the ground and flushed a bright red colour.   
Nearly all the Guardians gasped and each took out their pendants to look at them. Even Freya did this. She stared at the pendant with contempt because it had been the bane of her existence for a while. The five jewels on the pendant mocking her. It was because of this piece of jewellery that no one could remember them. It was because of this that they were able to track their charges evert movement. One of the big rules was that Guardians were not allowed to take this piece of jewellery off, ever. They couldn’t even take it off for bed or bathing. If anyone did take it off, Lance would immediately know because of the tracker inside and they would be punished severely. Quite frankly, it had been very uncomfortable to wear at first but it soon became normal and Freya hardly ever noticed it anymore.   
Joseph sighed, looking glum. “There is a heat signature tracker in the pendant so as soon as it leaves our bodies; Lance will know.” Lance had one installed in each and every pendant. This is so if any Guardian were to remove the pendant and leave it for longer than a few moments then Lance would be immediately notified and that Guardian would pay the price. However, no one had been stupid enough to do this but Freya didn’t doubt that death would be waiting for the poor sod that got caught.   
The room was silent for a moment.   
“What if we place a warmth charm on it, so it imitates the warmth from the human skin? That way Lance would never know.” Ryan suggested, looking thoughtful.   
Freya pursed her lips together, “But the spell would only be temporary so you’d have to be careful.” That spell only lasted four hours at a time. After the four hours the warmth would fade and if everyone didn’t get the pendant back on in time or reapply the spell then it wouldn’t be pretty.   
Everyone looked thoughtful. It seemed as though everyone was weighing up the pros and cons and if they really wanted to go along with this plan. It was understandable because the consequences were quite severe for one night of freedom. Freya looked at the older Guardians and saw the longing in their eyes. It had been years since any of them had experienced the freedom of just being able to act like a normal person. It seemed as though they all wanted to do this.   
Freya fell silent and watched everyone. “What if I don’t want to?” She asked hypothetically, even though she wanted to. Freya was scared to admit that the thought was terrifying and it was very risky.   
Castiel scowled. “I told you she wouldn’t. She’s Lance’s pet after all.” He said with venom in his tone.   
Freya glared at him icily. She was getting really tired of being called Lance’s pet because she wasn’t. Freya did not belong to Lance. For years, Freya had heard people whisper behind her back and call her that exact name. She hated that title with a burning passion.   
Cordelia frowned, sending a glare at Castiel before answering. “Then we won’t do it. We need everyone on board just in case someone decided to snitch.” If everyone agreed then it ensured everyone’s silence. If someone snitched then they would be snitching on themselves. No one would be stupid enough to do that either.   
“Please Freya.” Rebecca pleaded, holding her hands together.   
Freya looked ignored the pleading looks and turned her head over to Castiel. “And even you’re going along with this?” She asked, eyeing him critically. He was the one who Freya was most sceptical and surprised about. She was surprised to see him go along with everyone else’s plan. On a few occasions, Castiel had been the first to Lance to snitch on another Guardian.   
Castiel flushed slightly. “I am…” He looked at the ground and wouldn’t meet anyone’s eyes.   
For a moment, Freya wasn’t going to agree. The sensible side of her was telling her to disregard what they were saying. A very cynical side of her was telling her to report this to Lance and tell him of this massive betrayal. However, there was a third side – one that Freya never usually listened to. This side was telling her to do it and to go along with it.  
Slowly, Freya nodded her head. “Alright, I’ll go along with this. But under a few conditions.” She said, looking at everyone briefly.   
Katrina’s eyes widened and soon a grin appeared on her face. Cordelia looked shocked and was looking around the room flabbergasted. Ryan was looking at her with a proud expression and was happy to see this side of her. Castiel seemed to be the most shocked of them all as his jaw was dropped just slightly.   
Freya wet her lips before speaking. “Just to ensure that everyone is actually on board with this idea, everyone will take some Veritaserum potion. This is to protect everyone involved. Once done, we will make a vow to not rat each other out to Lance or to anyone.” Freya said, making her conditions clear. There was no way she was agreeing to this until all loopholes were filled in. She was not putting her neck on the line, especially knowing what the consequences would be if Lance ever found out. By using the Veritaserum potion, Freya would be able to know how serious they all were about this.   
People gulped, but they all nodded their heads.   
“Where would we get Veritaserum potion?” Simon asked, raising his hand slightly.   
Freya rolled her eyes. “We’re going to get it from potions storeroom.” As if this wasn’t obvious. Freya was confident that one of them could brew the truth serum themselves – probably Cordelia – but since it was such short notice, it would be better to just get the potion from Professor Sheldrake’s potions storeroom. It was always fully stocked and the professor wouldn’t notice it being gone because it would be back by early morning at the latest. It was a Friday that day and Professor Sheldrake only did a stock check on early Sunday mornings.   
“Is that agreeable?” Freya asked, arching a brow.   
Everyone seemed to nod their heads, all seeming to agree with the conditions.   
Freya’s eyes scanned the room. “Katrina, you go get the potion.” She said. Freya had picked Katrina for a few reasons; one was because Katrina was quite stealthy. The second reason was that Katrina seemed to be the ring-leader of this idea.   
Katrina’s eyes lit up and she nodded her head. “I’ll be back in a moment!” She said, running out of the Chamber of Secrets as fast as she could.   
“Are you really going to go through with this?” Ryan asked, looking at Freya with a curious expression.  
Freya looked at him. “Just so long as everyone agrees. This is very dangerous and I am covering all bases.” She replied back dryly.   
“I wouldn’t have even thought about that,” Rebecca muttered lowly under her breathe, but everyone heard her. Though no one said anything, Freya couldn’t help but agree. It would seem in their haste to join in with the Yule Ball they had neglected a few things. It was poorly planned, but Freya knew exactly what to look out for because no one knew the Guardian Program more than her. She was one of the longest living Guardians out there and she had the most to lose.   
After a few more minutes, Katrina rushed back into the room with a grin. “Got it!” She held up a vial that looked very similar to plain water. However, that was the magic behind that potion because it was odourless, colourless and is almost indistinguishable as water. If Freya didn’t know better, she wouldn’t have even known that it was the powerful truth serum, but Freya knew it well. Lance would use the Veritaserum potion on some of the Guardians just to make sure they weren’t hiding any secrets. Use of this potion is strictly controlled by the Ministry of Magic. Usually, this potion was better on the unsuspecting because people can resist the potion by using Occlumency or by taking its antidote. However, Freya knew that no one other than herself was skilled at Occlumency. Some Guardians were okay but not to the level where they would be able to resist the potion.   
Summoning some water in a cup, Freya walked over to Katrina and took the vial out of her hand. Freya opened it and poured six drops of the Veritaserum potion into the water. The usual amount used was three drops but Freya wanted to make sure. There was a lot at stake if anything went wrong. Freya secured and pocketed the potion and swirled the water with her wrist motion. Only after Freya was happy did she stop this movement and held it out.   
“You first,” Freya said, holding it out to Katrina.   
Katrina stared at the cup for a moment before taking it. Katrina drank from the cup and Freya watched her jaw and throat movement – just making sure that Katrina had actually drunk from the cup. Freya waited for a few seconds and waited for the potion to take effect. Freya then took the cup away and kept hold of it and then Freya stared at Katrina and began to use her Legilimency – this was just to make sure that she wasn’t lying. Freya knew that Katrina wouldn’t lie because she was always so honest. Also, Freya could read Katrina like a book.   
“Do you want to attend the Yule Ball?” Freya asked, looking directly at the Hufflepuff.   
Katrina nodded her head. “Yes.”  
Freya stared at her for a moment before nodding her head. “If you attend the Yule Ball, will you tell Lance?” This was a very important question that needed to be answered. If just even one person told Lance, they would all pay the price.   
Katrina shook her head. “No, I won’t.” She replied back honestly.   
Pursing her lips together, Freya asked her last question. “Will you ever tell anyone outside this room about going to the Yule Ball?” This question was to cover anyone telling other Guardians – such as Amy and Logan – that weren’t in the room. No one could know what could possibly happen.   
Again, Katrina shook her head. “No.”  
Nodding her head, Freya was happy with the result. Freya knew that Katrina had not resisted the potion at all and she retreated from Katrina’s mind. “Next,” Freya said, looking at everyone. She was wondering who would be brave enough to take part next. They all would have to – Freya would make sure of that.   
It was Ryan who stepped forward next.   
It took about an hour and a half before everyone had taken a sip from the cup. It was only then that Freya was confident that no one would tell Lance or anyone else. After using her Legilimency, Freya was beginning to feel tired, but she was satisfied in the end. No one had lied and no one had resisted the potion. After Ryan, Cordelia had gone next. Then Rebecca, Connor, Noah and then Castiel. The cup had needed to be refilled and more potion had needed to be added into the water.   
Dispelling the cup, Freya smirked, “Alright, let’s get ready for the Yule Ball then.” She said, her smirk growing wider when everyone began to cheer loudly. People began to leave since there were only a few hours until the Ball began and the girls were rushing out.   
Katrina ran over to Freya and hugged her. “I’m so proud of you.” She muttered lowly, squeezing her tightly.  
Surprisingly, Freya wasn’t as uncomfortable with this hug as she would usually be. She didn’t like it, but she didn’t hate it either. “Why is that?” She asked, moving away from Katrina after a few moments. She had allowed Katrina   
Katrina smiled widely. “You’re not as uptight as you were last year.”  
Freya rolled her eyes, completely disregarding her words. “Come on, we need to start getting ready.” She said, hoping that it would distract her.   
It worked. Katrina’s eyes lit up as she dragged Freya and Cordelia over to the Gryffindor common room to get ready for the Yule Ball. It was there that Katrina dragged all her stuff into the Gryffindor common room to get ready. Luckily, all the girls in Cordelia and Freya’s dorm had decided to get ready somewhere else so they were all alone. 

HARRY POTTER 

Later that night 

Freya looked at herself in the mirror and was amazed. Katrina had always been the girly one out of the two of them but even Katrina had outdone herself. Usually, Freya would just stick her hair in a ponytail and that would be it as Freya didn’t really care about her appearance as people wouldn’t remember her. Freya was pretty; she knew she was. She had inherited the high cheekbones, large eyes and a small nose from her father. Looking at her reflection, Freya couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Freya was wearing a floor length long sleeved black bodycon dress that showed off her whole figure. She could see her large bust and curved waist. Underneath she wore four-inch black high heels; not that anyone could see them. Katrina had used some makeup; mascara, eyeshadow and black eyeliner and lipstick. Her hair was styled in a delicate bun with some hair loose at the front to nicely frame her face.   
“Holy shit Katrina, look what you’ve done,” Cordelia said, looking at Freya with wide eyes. Cordelia was in a short red dress and gold heels. Her hair was let loose, falling to her lower back in loose waves. She was also wearing a small amount of makeup as she wasn’t a big fan of wearing makeup.   
“I have, haven’t I?” Katrina grinned, practically beaming. Katrina was in a long white silk dress which suited her lovely. She looked like a real angel in that dress.   
Taking a deep breath, Freya grabbed her matching mask. It was a masquerade ball, making blending in so much easier. The mask was the same colour as the dress and fit on her face perfectly. When Freya first put the mask on, it had been scratchy and she didn’t like it, but she had been in more uncomfortable situations before. Looking at her reflection once more, Freya could still see her stormy grey eyes, which only seemed to pop in the dress.   
“Is everyone ready?” Freya asked as she got ready to take her pendant off.   
Cordelia and Katrina nodded their heads. It was decided that Katrina would stay in their dorm room that night so they could all come back together to put their pendants back on. Together, they cast the warmth spell on their pendant. Freya then delicately took the pendant off and placed it in her drawer beside her bed and locked it; this is so no one could get it. Freya couldn’t help but feel anxious and slightly naked, she had been wearing that necklace ever since she was eleven years old and now she wasn’t anymore. It felt weird, but slightly freeing at the same time.   
Katrina looked at the time and squealed loudly. “We’ve got exactly until midnight, just like in those fairy tales.” She said with a dreamy expression.   
Freya rolled her eyes playfully. She had no idea what Katrina was talking about, but Cordelia had some idea and also laughed.   
“Let’s go,” Freya said as she walked out of the room. She found it difficult to walk in heels at first because she usually didn’t wear heels that high – her parents would say they were tacky and only tramps wore heels that high. But Freya soon got a grip of herself and began walking in them, trying to make sure she didn’t fall over on the way down. 

HARRY POTTER 

James was standing in the Great Hall. It had been completely been transformed especially for the Yule Ball. The ceiling now resembled a snowy night, there were clear dark skies with bright stars twinkling. Delicate flakes of snow fell from the sky and there was a light breeze that rolled in the rooms, but it was still warm enough to not need a jacket or shawl. There were many tables in the Great Hall, all rounded as it catered to many people. There was a large Christmas tree that Hagrid had brought in and was covered in snow and was decorated. He was wearing black dress robes, his mother had sent his and Albus’ dress robes. Lily didn’t receive anything because she wasn’t old enough to attend which she wasn’t happy about at all. Since Albus was in the Tournament, only fourth years and above were allowed to attend. The only other way Lily would have been able to go to the Yule Ball was if an older student asked her, but James and Albus had made sure no one had done that.   
James sighed in boredom. He was making a point of ignoring all the girls. He wasn’t in the mood for mindless chatter tonight. Just as James was about to take a sip from his glass, he stopped and his eyes widened. A girl had descended down the stairs and she was bloody stunning. There were two other girls behind her, but the one in the black dress stood out to him. Even with her mask, he noticed her eyes.   
Stormy grey eyes; like the ones in his dream.   
Placing his glass on the table, James walked over to the girl. As he did, he never once took his eyes off the girl in black. James even ignored Fred shouting his name because he was so transfixed by this girl. His heart beat faster as he got closer to her. 

HARRY POTTER 

Freya looked around the Great Hall in amazement. It looked absolutely beautiful and it almost took her to breathe away; she had never seen the Great Hall look so amazing. It just made Freya feel jittery for the night ahead.   
“Wow,” Cordelia said, her eyes wide behind her red and gold mask.   
Katrina grinned. “Doesn’t it feel magical?”   
Just then, McGonagall walked over in dark blue party robes. “I hope you’re ready for the first dance led by the Champions and Shields?” She asked, a small smile on her face. McGonagall took notice of the lack of pendants on each their necks and didn’t question it in the slightest. In fact, she looked extremely happy and proud.   
Freya opened her mouth to answer.   
“She’ll be ready!” Katrina injected before Freya could say anything.   
McGonagall nodded her head before walking away. Sending glances to Freya as she walked away, a small smile still present on her face.   
Freya turned to them. “What am I going to do? I don’t have anyone to dance with.” She felt panicked now, she had been so focused on protecting Albus, James and being a Guardian that she had completely forgotten that the Champions and Shields were the ones that led the first dance and she didn’t have a date.   
Katrina and Cordelia opened their mouths but they stopped and their eyes widened.   
That’s when Freya felt James’ magical signature behind her. Turning around, she saw James standing in behind her. He looked lovely with his dark dress robes and his hair was styled to the side, making him look very handsome. He too was wearing a mask, a plain black mask but it only served to make him look mysterious.   
“I believe I can help you with that,” James said, a smirk on his face. He had his hand held out, waiting for her to take it.   
Freya stared at him for a moment, dumbfounded. But then she noticed the other Champions and Shields walking up to the dancefloor and knew that she had no other choice.   
Freya placed her hand in his. “You may.” She said, trying to stay calm. She had never been this close to James before, she was always watching from afar. Other than that one time on the Quidditch pitch – the memory still sending shivers down her spine. Being up close and personal with him made her realise why girls thought he was good looking.  
James gently clasped her hand in his and guided her to the dancefloor.   
Once there, James took her hand and raised it slightly before he placed his other hand on her waist boldly. Freya jumped slightly before forcing herself to relax. She couldn’t help but notice how warm his hands were. Taking her queue, Freya placed her other hand on his shoulder and waited for the music to begin.   
The melody started out softly, and everyone began to move. Sparing a glance, Freya saw a band playing on the stage at the end of the Great Hall. Freya didn’t recognise the band at all but she knew that Katrina or Cordelia would.   
“I must say; you look absolutely beautiful,” James said, a small smirk on his face. They began moving to the music, swaying lightly with the wind as they did the waltz.   
Freya smirked. “I know.” She was ready for his flirty ways and she knew all his games. She had watched him for years and knew his style.   
James looked taken back but he was soon smirking again. This girl had a razor tongue, which only enticed him more. Whenever he dreamed of his mystery girl he could never imagine her being weak and bashful. Whenever he envisioned those eyes, he saw a fire in them that lit his blood alight.   
“Aren’t you going to say how good I look?” James prompted, wanting to hear more of her razor tongue.   
Freya rolled her eyes. “And increase your ego even more? Never.” A smirk grew on her own face, she was enjoying this exchange more than she realised. For a moment, she seemed to forget that she was actually his Guardian.   
James laughed, not at all offended. “Well, you got me there babe.”  
Freya frowned. “Don’t call me that.” She said immediately, already disliking the little nickname. She had heard James call that too many girls who he slept with and never saw again. There was something about that nickname that really rubbed her up the wrong way.   
However, James didn’t falter. “Then how about you tell me your name?” He asked, still swaying to the melody.   
Mentally, Freya cursed herself. She had really fallen into that without even realising it. For a moment, Freya doesn’t say anything because she doesn’t know what to say. She wasn’t allowed to tell him her name, but he wouldn’t even remember her after she placed her pendant back on her neck.   
“Freya Williams.” She eventually said, her voice low and barely above a whisper.   
But James heard her. “Freya, what a lovely name.” He said, trying out her name on his lips. He found that her name really did suit her.   
Freya rolled her eyes, but she had done it playfully without her even realising. She took this chance to glance around the room. Albus was dancing with a Ravenclaw girl who was much taller than him. Alicia was dancing with a guy from Beauxbatons and Isaak was dancing with a Hufflepuff girl who was small and chubby. Ivan was dancing with a girl from Beauxbatons and Roman was dancing with a Slytherin girl who had a smirk on her face.   
The tempo of the waltz grew, causing their movements to become faster than they were moments ago. Freya let herself be carried, although there were times that Freya wanted to take control and she had to stop herself. However, as the song continued, Freya felt herself start to relax and not wanting to take control as James was dancing so smoothly. Freya could say with confidence that she hadn’t danced with someone else who could waltz with practised ease.   
Then the song was over and another song began. As soon as the second song started, everyone else joined in on the dance floor now that the first dance was over. James and Freya stood where they were just looking at one enough directly in the eyes. They seemed to ignore everything around them. It was Freya who pulled away first. Freya stepped back and maintained eye contact until she was turned around. Once she was turned away, Freya let out a deep sigh and walked over to a table with drinks there and downed it because she felt her throat was extremely dry.   
Freya reached the table and grabbed the nearest drink and downed it immediately. Moving the glass away from her mouth, Freya started breathing heavy, her heart was beating rapidly in her chest and she needed it to calm down.   
“Having fun?” Cordelia asked, looking up at her. Cordelia was sitting down at the table, downing as much food as she could. As soon as Cordelia had seen that they could order as much as they wanted, she had jumped at the chance and hadn’t moved from her seat since.   
Freya arched a brow at her. “Just as much as you I assume.” She wasn’t surprised to see Cordelia at the food table. This was where she had expected Cordelia to spend most of her time.   
Cordelia grinned. “You’re going to need to move me with magic by the end of tonight.”  
Freya rolled her eyes but smirked nonetheless. Without another word, Freya took a seat next to Cordelia and also looked at the menu. All they had to do was choose what they wanted from the menu, say the choice and it would appear in front of them in an instant. Freya turned her head and looked for James and she found him dancing with another girl. However, James was staring at her, his hazel eyes boring into her.   
Freya flashed him a smirk.   
Soon, a grin stretched on James’ face. His dance partner didn’t appear happy as she tapped his shoulder, hoping to gain his attention.   
Turning back around, Cordelia looked at the menu once more. “Any suggestions?” Freya asked, glancing to her right.   
Cordelia nodded her head. “The pork chops are to die for! The burgers aren’t too bad either.” She said as she stuffed her face with chips.   
That’s when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She jumped slightly because she hadn’t been paying attention. She had paid more attention to James so she didn’t even sense a magical signature until it was right behind her. When Freya turned her head, she saw Isaak standing behind her. Isaak was dressed in black dress robes and had a white mask over his face.   
“Yes?” Freya arched her brow and looked at him.   
“Would you care you dance?” Isaak asked with a smile.   
Just as Freya was about to reject him, but Cordelia jumped in before she could. “She would love to,” Cordelia exclaimed with a large grin.   
Freya turned her head and glared at the Gryffindor, but Cordelia just feigned ignorance and went back to her food. Sighing, Freya looked back to Isaak – who was standing there patiently – and nodded her head. She stood up and placed her hand in his outstretched hand. “Alright then.” She had to stop herself from flinching when he gripped her hand.   
His hands were notably colder than James’ where, but Freya pushed that thought aside. Isaak and Freya walked into the dancefloor and began to dance to the song. This song was faster than the song from before but Freya was easily able to keep up. Isaak also seemed very comfortable dancing as he seemed to be good at it. Freya had noticed that in his previous matches that Isaak was light on his fight – indicating that he was more of a dancer than a fighter. Taking a moment, Freya took this chance to look around the room. She noticed that James was staring at them and so was Alicia – who was glaring at her venomously.   
“You look beautiful,” Isaak said, his voice grabbing her attention. He was smiling at her and staring at her as if she was the only person in the room.   
Freya said nothing and just stared at him. “Thanks.” She eventually said with a blank expression. On the inside, she was cringing in embarrassment. She wasn’t a big fan of compliments about her appearance. James’ comments didn’t bother her because that was his banter, but Isaak seemed genuine in his compliment and she didn’t know how to deal with that.   
Isaak frowned and stared at her with a concerned expression. “Have I done something to offend you?” He asked with his brows furrowed. He didn’t understand her cold attitude but it just seemed to attract him even more and made him more curious.   
For a moment, Freya didn’t reply. “Why did you ask to dance with me?” She asked, glancing at him with a suspicious expression.   
“Can’t a dance with a beautiful woman?” Isaak asked with a smile.   
Freya stared at Isaak with a blank expression and said no more. She didn’t believe him for a moment because she couldn’t understand any other reason he would want to dance with her. Freya believed that he was just dancing with her to find out information about her plans for the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Looking away from Isaak, she noticed that Albus was now dancing with Rebecca and Fred was sitting on the same table as Cordelia. They seemed to be having an eating competition and Cordelia was certainly holding her own against the Weasley. Freya searched for James and couldn’t find him at first, but she soon found him dancing with Alicia and for some reason, this didn’t settle well with Freya.   
As soon as the song ended, Freya walked away from Isaak. She didn’t want to dance with him again and she wanted to have another drink. She could hear him call for her, but he didn’t know her name and she was going to leave it that way.   
Just as Freya made it to the table, James made his appearance. “And here I thought that dance would never end.” He said with a grin on his face.   
“And here I thought you enjoyed having her on your arm,” Freya replied back with an arched brow.   
James chuckled, “Usually I would, but someone else is on my mind.” He shot back, his grin appearing very lazy.   
Slowly, a smirk appeared on Freya’s face.   
Then, James stretched out his hand, “Care to dance again?” He asked just as another slow song was just starting.   
Freya was about to accept but her gaze wandered behind James. Freya saw Frank Longbottom and Katrina and they seemed very cosy with another. They were staring at one another in the eyes and slowly, they began to lean in. Seeing it made her frown and something inside her clicked. This was wrong. She shouldn’t have been dancing with James, let alone tell him her name. She shouldn’t be doing this.   
Without another word, Freya fled away from James. She ignored him when he shouted her name and she certainly didn’t look back.   
Freya fled to the balcony of the Great Hall. She just couldn’t be in his presence any longer. It was like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over her face when she saw Katrina and Frank together. Freya was James’ Guardian, she couldn’t develop any feelings for him what so ever. Freya knew it wasn’t too late, she could get out but only if she got away there and then. Once Freya was on the balcony, she began gulping in the cold crisp air, feeling as though she can’t breathe. Freya gripped the railing and stood there, letting the cold breeze tickle the back of her neck. She was enjoying the breeze very much and it made her relax. The cold always made her feel normal and better; she was used to the cold.   
“Hey, Freya.”   
Freya tensed when she heard James’ voice.   
James walked closer until he was standing next to her. He wasn’t looking at her but at the dark night sky. Freya closed her eyes and waited for one of his many arrogant comments, she knew he was going to ask why she suddenly fled and she didn’t want to answer it. She was not looking forward to this conversation.   
“I want to thank you,” James said suddenly.   
Freya’s head shot up, her mouth dropped ajar in shock. “W-why?” Freya stuttered slightly and then cursing herself for it. She didn’t stutter, so why was she now?  
James turned his head and looked at her. “You really helped Al back in the first and second round. I couldn’t protect him, but you could.” He said, his voice soft as he thought of his family.   
For once, James had rendered her speechless. Over the years, Freya had always seen him as cocky, arrogant and self-absorbed twit. There were only a handful of times that she truly saw this soft side of James and Freya found that she really liked this side of James.   
Freya wrapped her arms around herself. “It’s nothing.” She said, looking up at the starry sky.   
“No, you don’t understand,” James said shaking his head; his usually wild hair staying in place. “You’ve protected my brother and haven’t asked for anything in return. Many girls wouldn’t have done what you have. Usually, girls have tried to use Al to get to me.” He looked back up at the sky with a saddened expression.   
Freya snorted and rolled her eyes. “I don’t get why.” She knew this all too well. She had spoken to Rebecca and heard about all the girls that had tried to get cosy with Albus. However, none of them lasted very long because either Albus came to his senses or Rebecca got rid of them. With nearly all of them, they were only interested in getting to know James. This had made Albus weary of people and not just the female gender.   
James laughed, a smile appearing on his face.   
A small smile appeared on Freya’s face, something she hadn’t done in years since becoming a Guardian.   
James looked at her and smiled. “You should smile more often.” He said, his voice soft.   
Freya’s eyes widened slightly before she flushed bright red. She wasn’t used to being told positive things about herself.   
Suddenly, the music in the Great Hall changed, another slow song was playing in the background.   
James held out his hand, “Want to dance?” He asked, his voice low.   
Wordlessly, Freya took his hand and they begin to dance outside. This time when James placed his hand on her waist, she didn’t tense or jump. Freya placed her head on his shoulder, her free arm clutching his back slightly. Her heart was pumping loudly, she had done something rather bold and something Freya wouldn’t have usually done. However, James didn’t seem to mind at all. He just placed his chin on top of her head with ease as they flawlessly danced on the balcony. 

HARRY POTTER 

Freya arrived back in her dorm room and flew for her pendant as she knew the spell wasn’t going to last much longer as it was nearing midnight. On the way back, Freya had sent an alarm to all the Guardians, sending them a reminder about the warmth spell on their pendants. This was just in case they hadn’t back to their pendants themselves. On the way back, Freya saw many Guardians running, some of them with panicked expressions. She just hoped that it wasn’t too late for some people.   
Placing the pendant back on her neck, Freya sighed in relief. Just seconds after placing the piece of jewellery on her neck, she felt the warmth leave it, meaning that she had just got there in time.   
Katrina looked at Freya – she had come back a bit earlier than the Gryffindor along with Cordelia. “Good night?” She asked, an innocent expression shining brightly.   
Freya stopped for a moment before nodding her head. “It was a good night.” She admitted softly, her voice barely above a whisper.   
Katrina giggled and smiled brightly, “I saw, you guys looked so happy-”  
“It can never happen again.” Freya cut her off, beginning to take the ties and clips out of her hair. Now, she just wanted this ridiculous get-up off her body and away from her. She didn’t want anything to remind her of something she could never have or have any reminder of this night.   
Katrina frowned, sitting up from her laying down position. “What do you mean? You said you enjoyed yourself?”   
Freya shook her head. “That’s exactly it, I shouldn’t have enjoyed myself. I’m his Guardian.” She spat that last part out, her body shaking slightly. Freya was angry with herself for even letting herself believe that she could be a normal girl.   
Katrina didn’t say anything for a moment and just stared at Freya. “You’ve fallen for him,” Katrina whispered softly, a look of understanding flashing in her eyes.   
Freya tensed but she didn’t deny it. She couldn’t deny the way her heart pounded against her ribcage when James held her close and spoke so sincerely. Seeing that soft side of him made her melt, she wanted him to look at her with that soft look. Freya couldn’t lie to herself when she felt butterflies fill her stomach when James and she danced together on the balcony.   
“That’s why this can never happen again,” Freya whispered, letting her hair fall loose onto her back. She had finally managed to get all the pins out of her hair. Katrina had used quite a few because of how thick Freya’s hair was.   
“It could,” Katrina said, trying to be optimistic.   
Freya shook her head. “You don’t understand Katrina, I will not end up like my sister.” She said, feeling angry with herself.   
Katrina frowned for a moment before smiling. “Well, now you know what mistakes not to make.” She suggested.   
This caused her to tense and something inside her snapped. “The mistake was that she fell in love with her charge!” Freya yelled out, turning around to face Katrina. Her fists were clenched and her jaw clenched. Thinking about her sister always made her feel angry and bitter. Freya had always thought that if Lydia had done her job properly then Freya wouldn’t have been in this position.   
Katrina fell silent and looked at the ground. Katrina was one of the only people that knew what happened with Lydia. The true reason had been covered up by Lance so as not to bring disgrace to the Williams name. In exchange for saving her parent’s reputation, Freya had to become James’ Guardians.


End file.
